Lewandowski is FIFA’s Player of the Year

Lewandowski is FIFA’s  Player of the Year

By Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

Poland and FC Bayern Munich striker, Robert Lewandowski, was last night named The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2020 for the first time in his career.

Lewandowski piped both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to football’s top honour.

At The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020 ceremony which held as a virtual event at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Liverpool’s Manager, Jürgen Klopp claimed the Men’s Coach of the Year award for the second consecutive year, having steered the Reds to the English Premier League title for the first time, 30 years after their last top-flight success.

Klopp was declared the winner after a close race with Hans-Dieter Flick of FC Bayern Munich with the outcome decided on voting by the national-team coaches.

Germany and FC Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer was chosen as The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Thousands of football players from around the world cast their votes for this year’s FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World11. Those selected include; Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker (Liverpool FC); Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool FC); Alphonso Davies* (FC Bayern München); Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF) and Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool FC).

Midfielders: Thiago Alcântara (FC Bayern München/Liverpool FC); Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City FC) and Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München).

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus FC); Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) and Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona).

Speaking shortly after he was pronounced winner of the men’s top honour

Lewandowski said: “I feel fantastic. I am very proud and happy to be honest this is a great day for me, and also for my club and colleagues.

“This award also belongs to my colleagues, the coach and Bayern Munich in general. It is an incredible feeling, a lot of emotions.

“If you win such an award and share that title with Messi and Ronaldo, that is unbelievable and it means so much to me. A long time ago, I remember I was longing for something like this and now I can win such and award. This really means, regardless of where you come from, all that matters is what you put into it.

“For the entire world this year was difficult, the greatest highlight was winning the Champions League final – such a special day and evening, that was an incredible feeling. That was a great moment.

“Then we won the cup and got every title we could possibly win. We have a great coach, great team and we all work towards one goal,” he concluded.

In the women’s category, defender Lucy Bronze is also a maiden recipient of The Best FIFA Women’s Player Award after rounding off an impeccable spell with Olympique Lyonnais in style before returning to England to play for Manchester City WFC.

France and Olympique Lyonnais’ Sarah Bouhaddi capped her amazing career with Women’s Goalkeeper Award.

Current Netherlands women’s national-team boss Sarina Wiegman was named

women’s coach of the year for the second time in her career following her 2017 success.

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