Lewandowski Wins 2021 Golden Player Award, And Shortlisted For The FIFA Football Awards.

Robert Lewandowski has been awarded the 2021 Golden Player award by the distinguished jury assembled by Italian soccer magazine Tuttosport as the best player as the world for the second consecutive year.

It was announced today that the Bayern Munich striker will receive the 2021 Golden Player Award for his extraordinary achievements in the 2020-2021 season.

He saw of competition from Italy’s European champion Jorginho and also Argentine Copa América champion Lionel Messi to the clinch the award.

The Polish star was voted by a jury of former football stars including Lothar Matthäus, Andriy Shevchenko, Hristo Stoichkov, Luca Toni, Samuel Eto’o and Rui Costa.

He will be presented with the award at the ceremony in Turin on 13 December.

Lewandowski played a major part in Bayern's winning six titles the previous year, this time, he achieved a record-breaking 41 Bundesliga goals in a single season, surpassing the historic league record set by the legendary Gerd Müller of 40 goals.

He scored a total of 50 goals from only 38 appearances in 2021, that is 13 more than any other player in Europe’s major leagues, which saw him win the European Golden Shoe, .

The 33-year-old had continued that form into this season with 14 goals already from the first 12 Bundesliga games, and 24 goals across all competition in just 18 appearances.

Lewandowski is still the reigning Best FIFA Men’s Player and is a frontrunner for the 2021 Ballon d’Or set for 29 November in Paris, after missing out on that honour when it was cancelled last year.

The seven times Bundesliga champion with Bayern, has also been shortlisted for The Best FIFA Football Awards has been compiled by a selection of former men's and women's footballers, with the winner to be announced on January 17.

Last year Robert Lewandowski won the men's best player award while the best women's player prize went to England defender Lucy Bronze.

THE BEST MEN’S PLAYER

• • Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid)
• 
  
• • Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City)
• • Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus / Manchester United)
• • Erling Haaland (Norway / Borussia Dortmund)
• • Jorginho (Italy / Chelsea)
• • N’Golo Kanté (France / Chelsea)
• • Robert Lewandowski (Poland / Bayern Munich)
• • Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
• • Lionel Messi (Argentina / Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain)
• • Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)
• • Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool)

THE BEST WOMEN’S PLAYER

• Stina Blackstenius (Sweden / BK Häcken)
• Aitana Bonmatí (Spain / Barcelona)
• Lucy Bronze (England / Manchester City)
• Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden / Chelsea)
• Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway / Barcelona)
• Pernille Harder (Denmark / Chelsea)
• Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / Barcelona)
• Ji Soyun (Korea Republic / Chelsea Women)
• Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea Women)
• Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal)
• Alexia Putellas (Spain / Barcelona)
• Christine Sinclair (Canada / Portland Thorns)
• Ellen White (England / Manchester City)

THE BEST WOMEN’S COACH

• Lluís Cortés (Spain / Barcelona)
• Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden / Swedish national team)
• Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea)
• Beverly Priestman (England / Canadian national team)
• Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / Dutch national team / English national team)

THE BEST MEN’S COACH

• Antonio Conte (Italy / Inter Milan / Tottenham)
• Hansi Flick (Germany / Bayern Munich / Germany national team)
• Pep Guardiola (Spain / Manchester City)
• Roberto Mancini (Italy / Italian national team)
• Lionel Sebastián Scaloni (Argentina / Argentinian national team)
• Diego Simeone (Argentina / Atlético de Madrid)
• Thomas Tuchel (Germany / Chelsea)

THE BEST WOMEN’S GOALKEEPER

• Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea)
• Christiane Endler (Chile / Paris Saint-Germain / Olympique Lyonnais)
• Stephanie Lynn Marie Labbé (Canada / FC Rosengård / Paris Saint-Germain)
• Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden / Atlético de Madrid)
• Alyssa Naeher (USA / Chicago Red Stars)

THE BEST MEN’S GOALKEEPER

• Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool)
• Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy / AC Milan / Paris Saint-Germain)
• Édouard Mendy (Senegal / Chelsea)
• Manuel Neuer (Germany / FC Bayern Munich)
• Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark / Leicester City)

Public voting is to be cast from November 22, to December 10. FIFA will announce the three finalists for each category in early January.

The awards ceremony would be held virtually from FIFA headquarters in Zurich on January 17.