Lewy tipped for title, deny Messi 7th

PARIS • Robert Lewandowski threatens to deny Lionel Messi a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or title as the prestigious awards ceremony returns today, after it was cancelled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Bayern Munich and Poland striker netted a Bundesliga-record 41 goals in just 29 games last season to eclipse the long-standing mark set by the late Gerd Muller.

The 33-year-old scooped the Best Fifa Men's Player last year and has the backing of both Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann and teammate Thomas Muller to do the double after another prolific start to the season.

"Lewy has to win the thing on Monday when you see the way he is playing at the moment," Muller said of a player who has already scored 25 times in 20 appearances this season.

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have combined to win 11 of the past 12 editions of the Ballon d'Or, the lone exception in 2018 when Luka Modric helped Real Madrid to another Champions League triumph and inspired Croatia to the World Cup final, but Lewandowski must be included in the conversation.

"Robert deserves to win it, because in my view he has been more unbelievably consistent than any other player," Nagelsmann told Munich newspaper Abendzeitung.

Messi has endured a stop-start beginning to life at Paris Saint-Germain, but the 34-year-old bagged 30 league goals in his farewell season at Barcelona and won the King's Cup, while he helped end Argentina's 28-year wait for a major trophy after winning the Copa America in July.

"My biggest prize was what I was able to achieve with the national team," the PSG forward told Catalan daily Sport.

"If the Ballon d'Or were to arrive, it would be extraordinary... The seventh would be crazy."

Ronaldo last took home the trophy in 2017, and appears an outside contender for a sixth.

Five members of Italy's Euro 2020-winning squad feature on the 30-man shortlist, which also includes Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas, the Uefa Women's Player of the Year, is the leading candidate to succeed 2019 Ballon d'Or winner Megan Rapinoe, who is not among the 20 nominees.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE