Robert Lewandowski slams Ballon d’Or: Barcelona star echoes Cristiano Ronaldo’s criticism
Robert Lewandowski has been one of the world’s top players for over a decade. Now playing for Barcelona, he remains at the highest level—but there’s one thing still missing from his résumé: winning the Ballon d’Or. On that topic, the Polish striker offered a sharp critique that echoes recent comments from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Just a week ago, Ronaldo had harsh words for the Ballon d’Or after being left off the list of 30 finalists for the 2025 award. True to form, the Portuguese superstar was asked about it and didn’t hold back. “That, for me, is fictional,” said CR7.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Lewandowski was asked whether any current Barcelona players had a real shot at winning the Ballon d’Or this year. “Yes, because of how we’ve played all season. Because of the kind of football we’ve shown. We have players who can be favorites for this kind of titles,” he said.
However, he then shifted to a more critical stance on the award presented by France Football, drawing a comparison to its main rival. “I don’t know now what is more important: FIFA’s The Best, that I have to say is more fair, or the Ballon d’Or that is more commercial, you know,” said Robert.
The interviewer quickly remarked that the Ballon d’Or should have already been his. Lewandowski replied, “Which one?” with a smile. “No one can understand that situation. It’s part of football and something… some politics,” added the 36-year-old.
Lewandowski’s history of Ballon d’Or controversy
This isn’t the first time Robert Lewandowski has been at the center of Ballon d’Or controversy. In 2020, he was the overwhelming favorite to win the award after leading Bayern Munich to the UEFA Champions League title, but he was denied the trophy when France Football opted not to present it, citing the disrupted season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down global competitions for months.
A year later, the Polish striker once again came close but finished second in the voting behind Lionel Messi. At the time, the Argentine star publicly stated that Lewandowski deserved the 2020 Ballon d’Or and even urged France Football to award it to him retroactively—something that never happened.
Later, Lewandowski was quoted as saying he hoped Messi’s words weren’t “empty words,” though he later denied ever making that statement. Still, Lionel didn’t take kindly to the suggestion and addressed it publicly in an interview with ESPN: “I was bothered by the comments Lewandowski had made. Because when I won the Ballon d’Or, I truly meant what I said about him. And for him to speak the way he did, honestly, it bothered me.”
Lewandowski is a 2025 Ballon d’Or nominee
Lewandowski’s recent comments are especially notable not just because he’s one of European soccer’s elite players, but because he himself is one of the 30 nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
In the shortlist released last week, the Polish striker was included alongside three of his Barcelona teammates: Raphinha, Pedri, and Lamine Yamal. The latter, despite being only 18 years old, is widely regarded as one of the top contenders to win the award.