When Borussia Dortmund boss Jürgen Klopp signed Robert Lewandowski for a very modest fee of €4.5 million from a Polish side Lech Poznań in June 2010, he was a fairly unknown name in Europe.
He was neither regarded as a precocious talent nor was he from a renowned footballing nation. After almost 11 years, it’s safe to say that the deal itself was a bargain.
Lewandowski was part of Klopp’s entertaining and dominant Dortmund side before going to arch-rivals Bayern Munich on a free transfer. His output in front of the goal has been consistent over the years, and in the last three years or so, it has been astronomical.
He was the undisputed candidate for the Ballon d'Or last year after winning the treble with Bayern Munich and being the top scorer in all three competitions along the way. Unfortunately, France Football-- the magazine that is responsible for the prestigious award, decided to cancel the event due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
However, Lewandowski was equally majestic if not more in the following season. He broke the record of scoring the most goals in a Bundesliga season, which was held previously by the deceased Bayern legend Gerd Müller for almost 50 years.
Lewandowski scored an astounding 41 goals in 29 Bundesliga appearances with 5 more in the Champions League. His absence against Paris Saint Germain in the later stages of the Champions League has been regarded by many as the single biggest reason behind the exit of Bayern Munich in the competition.
Lewandowski also is the sole star in the Polish National Side and has scored 3 goals in this year's Euro, which itself is impressive considering the quality of the team. He is also the first polish footballer to score in three consecutive European Championships.
Lewandowski started 2021-22 in a typical manner by his standards, scoring 10 goals in 9 Bundesliga matches as well as scoring 5 goals in 3 Champions League games so far and judging by his recent form and physicality, it is expected that he will continue racking up impressive numbers.
This Year's Ballon d’Or has been a very strange case. With Lionel Messi being his usual best and finally winning Copa America with Argentina after a stellar performance, he is regarded by many as the favourite to win the award.
Karim Benzema and Jorginho have also been in the conversation, with both being instrumental in the success of their club and country.
But if we look at raw numbers as well as overall impact in the game, Robert Lewandowski might be the most deserving among them all.
Rassiq Aziz Kabir is a student of Economics at the University of Dhaka.
