The diminutive playmaker beat competition from the Polish and his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the prize.
The announcement came with much surprise the most football pundits and fans who believe Lewandowski had a better year and also because last year’s event was cancelled due to the Corona Virus outbreak.
With this, Messi is now two triumphs clear of Cristiano Ronaldo – with a five-time winner now at Manchester United finishing outside of the top three for the first time since 2010.
The Argentine scooped the award on the back of another incredible with club and country.
He helped Barcelona to Copa del Rey glory back in April, before going on to land a first senior trophy with Argentina at the 2021 Copa America – a competition that also saw him named Player of the Tournament.
The football world was stunned shortly after that success when it emerged that Barcelona could not afford to tie a talismanic figure to a new contract, with a career-long association with Catalan heavyweights brought to a close as Messi headed to France to join PSG.
He has been a shadow of himself since arriving at the Parc d’ Prince registering three assists on his last outing against Saint-Etienne and has four goals to his name through 11 appearances.
Robert Lewandowski has remained in prolific form for Bayern Munich at 33 years of age, with 25 goals plundered through 20 outings this season, but he had to settle for a runner-up spot.
The event was glamourous hosting a lot of stars.
Below is a list of others winners at the 2021 Ballon d’Or awards:
Women’s Ballon d’Or
1. Alexia Putellas (ESP/Barcelona)
Kopa Trophy (young player)
1. Pedri (ESP/Barcelona)
Yashin Trophy (goalkeeper)
1. Gianluigi Donnarumma (ITA/AC Milan – Paris SG)
FORWARD of the Year
- Robert Lewandowski