Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, currently playing for Barcelona, expressed his frustration over not receiving the Ballon d’Or in 2020, a year when the award was suspended due to the impact of the pandemic.  

The Polish forward, speaking with former English player Rio Ferdinand on his podcast, broke the Bundesliga goal-scoring record during the 2020-2021 season. He also highlighted that 2020 and 2021 were his best years as a professional, but France Football decided to cancel the 2020 edition and awarded the prize to Leo Messi in 2021.  

"At that time, I didn’t understand why. All the leagues were being played, the Champions League was ongoing, and for me, it was like, why? I know football sometimes works like politics because if you have football, you have business. And if you have business, there’s politics," the Polish player remarked.  

When Ferdinand asked if he would accept the award if the French magazine decided to give it to him now, four years later, Lewandowski replied: "Of course."