German legend Karl Heinz Rummenigge picks his 2021 Ballon d’Or winner

German legend Karl Heinz Rummenigge picks his 2021 Ballon d’Or winner

Karl Heinz Rummenigge is hopeful that Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski will win the 2021 Ballon d’Or award.

However, the legend feels the striker’s struggles to win a trophy with his national team could hinder his chances.

France Football will be unveiling the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or on 29th November.

PSG superstar Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich forward Lewandowski, Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and Liverpool winger have all been tipped to win the award.

As we edge closer to finding the winner of the 2021 Ballon d’Or, Players, pundits and fans have been naming their preferred choice for the award. Bayern Munich legend Rummenigge is the latest to have his say on who should receive the coveted price this time around.

Robert Lewandowski  (GettyImages)

The German has revealed that he would like to see Lewandowski win the Ballon d’Or this year. However, Rummenigge believes Poland’s struggles to win an international trophy could prove to be a major obstacle.

Rummenigge however named lionel Messi as a strong candidate for the award. He also feels an Italian international could also be in contention, he said while speaking to Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport:

“I hope Robert Lewandowski can make it, but unfortunately for him, Poland doesn’t have the quality to win trophies. Leo Messi could be taken into account or, perhaps, an Italian.”

Suggesting that an Italian could be in contention for the Ballon d’Or, Rummenigge heaped praises on Italian centre-backs Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

Lionel Messi is favourite to win the 2021 Ballon d’Or award ( Photo Credit: Getty Images)

“I saw Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini and I thought: ‘How old are they?’ Their experience is extraordinary, they were phenomenal at the Euros, they almost won the trophy single-handly with a few other players.”

While Rummenigge hopes to see Lewandowski win the Ballon d’Or, it remains to be seen if he would be awarded the Nobel award.

Lewandowski has scored 48 goals and provided nine assists from 40 appearances for Bayern Munich last season and has taken his fine form into the new campaign, netting 22 goals and providing two assists from 16 matches already.