Robert Lewandowski stated that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo motivated him (Image: Rio Ferdinand Presents)
Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has shared how Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo spurred him on to pip them to an award. The Polish powerhouse, who made his mark with Borussia Dortmund before a trophy-laden spell at Bayern Munich, has been breaking records and scooping up silverware ever since.
In 2022, he filled the boots left by Messi at Barcelona, following the Argentinian’s move to PSG. Rather than being daunted by sharing the limelight with Messi and his rival Ronaldo at the summit of European football, Lewandowski always embraced it as a challenge.
Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, presented by Qatar Airways, the prolific forward confessed that Messi and Ronaldo were well above his level, but acted as motivation – and he used said drive to beat them to an award.
“I used them, yeah. I used them for sure, not as inspiration, but to try… to drive yourself,” Lewandowski revealed to Ferdinand.
“Not to beat them, but to beat some kind of records, goals, the level that I achieved. Of course, I didn’t want to compare with Lionel Messi or Cristiano, never as a football player, because, of course, they are on a different level, different worlds.”
Lewandowski has faced the pair 13 times combined so far during his career, tasting defeat in seven clashes. His Poland side were thwarted by Argentina in the 2022 World Cup group stage and Ronaldo’s Portugal bested them in both this year’s Nations League and the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, reports the Mirror.
“But, I’m very happy,” he added. “I was like some years behind already, behind them, or like even in some years that I could beat them, like the best player in the world in two years in a row, against them.
Lewandowski was speaking to Ferdinand (Image: Rio Ferdinand Presents)
“So, for me, I think that I never dreamed about this, to be like Lewandowski, Messi and Ronaldo, who’s going to win the FIFA best player in the world, you know. I was there and I won.”
His humility shines even brighter considering his remarkable achievements; not only has the 36-year-old been bestowed with the FIFA Men’s Best Player of the Year twice, pipping both Messi and Ronaldo in 2020 and 2021, but he also boasts European Golden Boots from those stellar seasons.
Lewandowski’s glittering trophy case features an incredible 10 Bundesliga titles, a Champions League, and a La Liga crown won with Barcelona, among myriad other cups. Yet, he remains grounded and refrains from positioning himself alongside the iconic duo, instead drawing motivation from their careers.
Listen to the full Rio Meets Robert Lewandowski interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1979328/lewandowski-messi-ronaldo-rio-ferdinand