Robert Lewandowski Admits He Hopes Ballon d'Or Will Return After 'Amazing' Season
Bayern Munich treble winner Robert Lewandowski has admitted he still 'hopes' the Ballon d'Or will return this year.
France Fooball, the organisers of most prestigious individual honour, made the decision not to award the Ballon d'Or in 2020, due to the impact of the coronavirus.
However, the first time the award will not be handed out since 1956 coincides with a phenomenal individual season for Lewandowski, who won the treble with Bayern Munich, while top scoring in all three of the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal.
The 32-year-old Poland international had been the clear frontrunner of many fans and pundits (including those at 90min) to become only the fourth different player be awarded the Ballon d'Or in the last 13 years, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo having dominated for so long.
Speaking on the subject of the Ballon d'Or's cancellation, Lewandowski admitted he 'hopes' for a change in the next few months following his and Bayern's success despite the circumstances.
"The situation was the same, for everyone," he told 90min. "We have done a hard job during the lockdown, preparing for the second part of the season. If you see all season what we did and what I did, I have to say it was an amazing season.
It definitely would have been @lewy_official we can all agree...
— 90min (@90min_Football) July 23, 2020
The 90min editors have picked their #Ballondor2020 rankings with the award having been cancelled. ?
"The year is not at the end. We still have many games this year, many challenges.
"So, I think and I hope that something changes in the next few months because, in the Champions League, we beat every team and it was a spectacular season for us, but what happens in the next three months I don't know, so I'm staying focussed on my job and we'll see what happens."
Lewandowski - who came fourth in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 2015 - went on to call the award a 'dream' as he thanked those who have supported him this year, hinting at his own viewpoint that the honour should be reinstated for 2020.
"To win the Ballon d'Or is a dream for every player. I know the numbers what we did, what I did," he added.
"Every player who has won what we won, or scored as many goals as I did should be [in the conversation] for the Ballon d'Or and maybe win it, but I want to say thank you to all the fans who stayed behind me and want the Ballon d'Or to come back this year. You never know.
"This world that we are living now is the same for everyone and that's why I think maybe it should stay the same as before."