“I can’t take this seriously” – Raiola on who should have won 2021 Ballon d'Or

Football super agent Mino Raiola believes Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski should have won the 2021 Ballon d'Or over Lionel Messi.

The 54-year-old is not a fan of the Ballon d'Or in the first place and has stated that he could not take the award seriously.

Speaking in an interview with Sport1, Raiola said:

"I can't take this seriously. Zlatan always scolded that they didn't give him the thing. In my opinion, Lewandowski should have won this year. Zlatan should have won too. Quality does not always prevail in a democracy. Emotions and feelings play a role in the choice. Who do I like and who don't. Sometimes I think: let's just let go of all these prices. But humanity loves that. They also love the Oscars."

Robert Lewandowski has been unlucky not to win the Ballon d'Or in the past two seasons. During the 2019-20 campaign, the forward scored an astonishing 55 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions as Bayern Munich clinched the treble under Hansi Flick. Unfortunately for the Poland international, the Ballon d'Or ceremony was canceled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last season was another excellent goalscoring campaign for Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich forward netted 48 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions. However, Lionel Messi lifted the Copa America with Argentina, which saw him win the 2021 Ballon d'Or. Lewandowski finished second to the former Barcelona superstar.

2022 could see new candidates for the Ballon d'Or award

The race for next year's Ballon d'Or could be yet another closely-contested affair. There will likely be many new contenders for the award come next November.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will always be in the mix, while Robert Lewandowski is also expected to be in the reckoning. However, these players are expected to be joined by the likes of Mohamed Salah and Vinicius Junior.

Mo Salah has been the most in-form player in the Premier League this season. The Liverpool superstar has scored 13 goals and provided nine assists in 15 league matches.

Another in-form striker is Real Madrid youngster Vinicius Junior. The 21-year-old  has netted 10 goals and provided three assists in 16 La Liga matches so far this season.

The Brazilian forward has already set his sights on the Ballon d'Or. He was recently quoted as saying:

"I have to work hard for that, I have to keep playing here, keep doing things well and always be the best version of myself. If I keep playing like that, of course I can win it, but the main thing for me is the team and to win many titles with Real Madrid."