‘You have to ask him’

DISCLAIMER Robert Lewandowski insists ‘you’ll have to ask Lionel Messi’ for an explanation after weird votes in Fifa The Best.

And the German press was furious with the Paris Saint-Germain forward as they defended the Bayern Munich forward.

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Lewandowski, 33, awarded Fifa Player of the Year for 2021 this week after scoring a record 69 goals.

He collected 48 points in the polls, surpassing Messi on 44 and Mo Salah on 39.

But as The captain’s vote revealed, there is a shock when Messi chooses Neymar, PSG’s injured teammate was the best player in the world for 2021 – even if the French side didn’t even win Ligue 1.

His other two picks were Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema as he beat his biggest rivals to the prize.

And the Argentina captain’s choice didn’t go down well, just weeks after the announcement Lewandowski deserves the Ballon d’Or.

German newspaper Bild wrote: “Shame on you, Messi,” suggesting he rigged his Fifa vote in a deliberate ploy to avoid a Lewandowski crossover and give himself a better chance of winning.

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When asked about the choice of the former Barcelona hero, the Bayern striker said: “Those were very nice words from Messi at the Ballon d’Or.

“Now with his choice – you have to ask him questions!

“I’ve done nothing wrong to make him angry with me except for my athletic results.

“It was his decision, I don’t want to say anything negative.”

Ironically, neither German head coach Hansi Flick, formerly of Bayern, nor Bayern captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, picked seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi among the top three. theirs – both chose Lewandowski.

Cristiano Ronaldo voted for Lewandowski while the Polish star chose Jorginho as his first choice, then Messi then Ronaldo.

Lewandowski is currently looking to win a hat-trick at the Fifa Best award after claiming the crown in 2020.

His superb form has continued this season with the former Borussia Dortmund ace scoring 34 goals in just 26 appearances.

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