“Do it now” – Jan Aage Fjortoft demands France Football to hand Ballon d’Or to ‘deserving’ candidate

Former Norwegian striker Jan Aage Fjortoft has posted a plea to the French Football Federation to hand over Ballon d’Or 2020 to Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski.

The Ballon d'Or 2020 ceremony was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is clear amongst the fans, experts and media that Robert Lewandowski was the clear winner of the award. After winning the Ballon d'Or 2021, Lionel Messi himself admitted, in his winning speech, that Robert Lewandowski deserved the Ballon d’Or in 2020.

Fjortoft played for 11 clubs through his career including the likes of Middlesbrough and Sheffield United. The Norwegian has also claimed that the French Federation should hand over last year’s award now.

In a Twitter post earlier today, the former Norwegian international suggested that Lionel Messi did not deserve to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. However, he claimed that the 2021 Ballon d’Or was now in the past. He demanded that the last year’s award should be handed over to Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski now. Here's what he tweeted:

Let Lewandowski get the Ballon d'Or for 2020!!!! @francefootball do it NOW!!!! @lewy_official deserves it BIG TIME!!! Messi got it for 2021! Ok! Let us move on. But last season it was not given….at all

Jan Aage Fjortoft becomes latest football personality to claim Robert Lewandowski deserved Ballon d’Or over Lionel Messi

In recent days, quite a few footballers and pundits have claimed that Robert Lewandowski was robbed off his first Ballon d’Or. The Polish striker had 62 goals for club and country last year. He was the majority favorite to pip the likes of Lionel Messi, Jorginho and Mohamed Salah for this year’s Ballon d'Or.

Last year, Robert Lewandowski had 48 goals and eight assists for club and country. Compared to Lionel Messi’s overall numbers, Lewandowski scored more goals both years but still has less overall goal involvement. The Argentinian had 50 goals and 17 assists for club and country last year. He had 28 goals with 22 assists the year before that.

Additionally, Lionel Messi won the Copa America with Argentina. He played for a struggling Barcelona team before moving to PSG at the start of the current season. The Ballon d’Or is given out on the basis of voting. In such a scenario, it is difficult to say if one player deserved it more than the other.

Some years, such as when Luka Modric won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, individual achievements were overlooked for those of the teams that the players played for. Other times in recent years, the Ballon d’Or has simply been won by players who had more trophies that year. Lionel Messi probably deserved to win the Ballon d'Or this year, especially when his Copa America trophy is considered. He also had the Copa del Rey that he won with Barcelona.

However, last year he was pipped by Robert Lewandowski both on the basis of trophies won and overall goal involvement.