France Football magazine is said to be considering re-awarding the 2020 Golden Ball, the year this award was not held due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The French magazine has awarded football’s most prestigious individual award every year since 1956 – except for one very notable occasion. Back in 2020, the Golden Ball award was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on football that year.

Several tournaments were cut short due to COVID-19 and the Ballon d’Or award was canceled before it resumed a year later in 2021. The winner was Lionel Messi.

However, many people feel as though Robert Lewandowski was “robbed” of the award in 2020, before finishing second behind Messi a year later.

In 2020, Lewandowski scored 47 goals in 44 games in all competitions for club and country, while also winning both the Bundesliga and Champions League.

When receiving the 2021 award, Messi also said that the former Bayern Munich striker deserved to win this trophy. “Robert, you deserve the Golden Ball,” La Pulga said in his speech. “Last year, everyone agreed that he was the winner of this award.”

France Football editor-in-chief Pascal Ferre rejected Messi’s plea and stressed the need to “respect the history of the Ballon d’Or”.

However, Diario Sport journalist Ivan San Antonio recently reported that Lewandowski may be awarded the award again. With suggestions that PSG have applied pressure to ensure Messi wins in 2021 and concerns about their reputation, the magazine is said to be “assessing the possibility of awarding the award to Lewandowski”.