Lewandowski on Ballon d'Or heartbreak and says he's better than Messi and Ronaldo

The Ballon d'Or is widely known as the grandest individual prize in football, and Lewandowski appeared to be a shoo-in to pick up the golden ball in 2020.

In 2020, the Pole managed 47 goals in 44 games during a year in which Bayern won a famous treble largely thanks to Lewandowski's unstoppable scoring.

The one award that alluded the 33-year-old goal-scoring machine was the Ballon d'Or though, with the 2020 edition of the prize abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 ceremony took place at the end of November, and Lewandowski was beaten to the crown by Argentine Copa America winner and Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi, who picked up his seventh title.

Messi paid tribute to Lewandowski during his victory speech, saying the 2020 award should have been his, but in an interview at the Expo Dubai, Lewandowski was keen to point out that his numbers were in fact better in 2021.

"I've had so many questions about the Ballon d'Or," he admitted. "Last year they cancelled it, I couldn't go, I won everything I could win.

"This year I scored 69 goals in one season so you know…

"I did everything that I could do, because in the Champions League against PSG I was injured, I couldn't play.

"But with my performance, with myself, if I stand in front of the mirror I can say to myself 'you did everything that you can, you scored 69 goals, you won the German league and you can be proud of yourself'.

"I respect other players because they are great players but I know that for me it's important to be myself and think always positively."

Lewandowski was then asked to decide the age-old debate between the game's two modern greats, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

"I choose Lewandowski," he said, showing exactly who he thinks the best player in the world is.

There's speculation surrounding Lewandowski's future at the Allianz Arena with his Bayern contract set to expire in the summer of 2023 having been linked with Manchester City in the last transfer window.

Asked about his contract the Poland captain said: "I'm not thinking about that.

"I'm happy with how things are at the moment and focused on the current season. I'm used to rumours every year so that doesn't bother me. I haven't read the press for a long time."

When asked about having a challenge elsewhere, he said: "I'm always ready for the challenge. I don't know if it'd be new, but I'm always ready."