Robert Lewandowski has finished third in his year's Ballon d'Or voting, with another star striker beating the Pole into second place, that is, according to a new report.
Ahead of the announcement of the winner next Monday, it looks like the Bayern Munich forward, who has enjoyed his best calendar year to date (statistically speaking) is set to miss out on the individual accolade once again.
2021 has already seen Lewandowski break Gerd Muller's all-time tally of 40 goals in a single Bundesliga campaign, a record that some experts thought might never be beaten.
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The 33-year-old managed to carry his electric form into the current season, adding an outrageous 25 goals in 19 games across all competitions already.
However, according to Spanish journalist Josep Pedrerol, he has just been edged out in the Ballon d'Or vote, with Real Madrid star Karim Benzema finishing runner-up.
Benzema has also been incredible this year, helping France to win the 2021 Nations League, while also enjoying his best start to a La Liga campaign after netting 10 times in his last 12 league outings.
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As you might imagine, plenty of Twitter users were unhappy with the leaked news, making their feelings known in the replies.
While the 2021 vote was always expected to be tight, with no runaway winner, Lewandowski will surely feel aggrieved to have missed out, following a remarkable 12 months for club and country.
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With the Polish marksman third, and Benzema now expected to finish in second, there are no prizes for guessing who Pedrerol is tipping to take home what would be a record sixth Ballon d'Or crown.
Topics: Robert Lewandowski, Carlo Ancelotti, Lionel Messi, Ballon d'Or, Karim Benzema, Bayern Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid