THE BEST FIFA FOOTBALL AWARDS
The Best FIFA Men's Player: Müller backs Lewandowski for award
Robert Lewandowski, who is up against Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at Thursday's The Best FIFA Football Awards, has the support of Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Müller.
Thomas Müller has not quite let his Robert 'LewanGOLski' joke go, as the Bayern Munich star backed his team-mate to pip Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the FIFA Best Awards.
"There's only one LewandGOLski," tweets Müller ahead of The Best FIFA Football Awards
Lewandowski, who scored 55 goals across all competitions last season as Bayern won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League, is up for Best Men's Player in Thursday's ceremony, alongside Barcelona talisman Messi and Juventus forward Ronaldo.
With the Ballon d'Or having not taken place this year due to the covid-19 pandemic, a win on Thursday would at least be some recognition for Lewandowski's outstanding year.
The Poland international has continued his hot form into 2020-21, netting 18 times in total already.
In August, Müller joked that Bayern had "Robert LewanGOLski" in a news conference, and Lewandowski's fellow forward used social media to back up his team-mate ahead of Thursday's awards.
"There is only one LewanGOLski," he tweeted. "Good luck for #TheBest, #lewyisonfire #thereisonlyone #LewanGOLski #FCBayern #fifathebest."
Lewandowski has averaged a Bundesliga goal every 94 minutes for Bayern
Since joining Bayern from Borussia Dortmund in 2014, Lewandowski has scored 177 Bundesliga goals in 201 appearances, averaging a strike every 94 minutes.
He has been presented with a total of 290 big chances – as per Opta data – converting 135, at a rate of 46.55 per cent, while he has also created 200 opportunities for team-mates, including 29 assists.
Of his 177 league strikes for Bayern, 24 have come from the penalty spot. In total, 166 have been from his right foot, 29 with his left and 31 were headed.
Lewandowski has scored 164 times from inside the area since August 2014 in the Bundesliga. Indeed, in the same timespan, he has scored 90 more goals in Germany's top flight than any other player, with Timo Werner, who has now joined Chelsea, second with 87, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on 85.
There has been similar success in the Champions League for the 32-year-old, who has 54 goals in UEFA's elite club competition since joining Bayern.
It is a tally bettered only by Ronaldo (67), while Messi is in third with 51. Highlighting the gulf in quality between those three and the rest, Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar is in fourth on 37 goals, while Karim Benzema (33) completes the top five.