Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski nominated for Laureus Sportsman of the Year

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest players to ever do it. And he repeatedly shows us all just why he’s regarded as one of the best sportspersons of all time with his quality, consistency, and work ethic. His stellar 2021 was unrivaled in all of world football and saw him register a whopping 69 goals and 13 assists in just 69 appearances across all competitions, which is 82 goal contributions with a crazy 1.18 goal contributions per game.

That eventful year also saw him break Gerd Müller’s record for most goals scored in a Bundesliga season, scoring 41 to surpass the previous mark of 40. What is even more astonishing is that it only took him 29 appearances to do that. He also broke Gerd’s record of most Bundesliga goals in a calendar year, scoring a stupendous 43 (!!) in the process. It is hard to imagine how many he could’ve bagged had the Bundesliga had 4 more games a season like the other leagues.

Add to that his contributions to build-up and ball progression, and you have one of the most complete players in the history of the sport. His professionalism, humility, and dedication make him a role model for young athletes around the world. After being recognized by FIFA, Globe Soccer, IFFS, and other organizations for a fantastic year, he has recently also been nominated for the ‘Laureus Sportsman of the Year 2022’ (for the previous calendar year). The Laureus award is considered the “Oscar” of the sporting world, and it is fitting that the Pole is one of the six nominees.

Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

This is Lewandowski’s second nomination in a row and sees him eclipse footballers like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jorginho, and Mohamed Salah. He joins a pantheon of top sportsmen from different backgrounds: Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic, Caeleb Dressel, Eliud Kipchoge, and Max Verstappen round off an elite list of sportspersons who are currently at the pinnacle of their respective sports.

It feels great to see yet another major sporting body recognize the achievements of the superstar striker. He deserves all the accolades that continue to come his way, and here’s to hoping he can continue adding to that collection during the future months and hopefully, years.

A special note to the Bayern front office: Please tie him down to an extension ASAP.