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Lionel Messi's reaction to Robert Lewandowski being announced as the Best FIFA Men's Player on Monday night was a wholesome one.
After a sensational year during which he broke Gerd Muller's goalscoring record, Lewandowski claimed the prize for the second year on the trot.
He finished four points ahead Of Messi, who was in second place after winning a seventh Ballon d'Or in late 2021.
The event was largely a virtual one and so the Paris Saint-Germain star was live on video from his home and exuded calmness as he sat in his plain white t-shirt.
But when FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced Lewandowski as the winner ahead of Messi and Mo Salah, the 34-year-old cracked a beaming smile.
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Fans loved how delighted Messi was and compared his reaction to Ronaldo's at the very same event last year.
A year ago, Ronaldo was utterly fuming with Lewandowski's victory and here Messi was just happy for another player to get recognised.
When giving a speech after winning the Ballon d'Or yet again last month, Messi paid tribute to Lewandowski and said he deserved the prize for his 2020 heroics.
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"I’d like to mention Robert, it’s been a real honour to compete with him," Messi said on stage.
"I think France Football should award you your 2020 Ballon d’Or, you deserved it."
Yet when it came to voting for the Best Men's Player, Messi left out Lewandowski of his ballot entirely.
Instead, the Barcelona legend voted for PSG teammates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as first and second respectively, with Karim Benzema in third.
Lewandowski selected Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho as his number one choice and then went with Messi and Ronaldo as his remaining picks.
Featured Image Credit: Image: FIFA & Robert LewandowskiTopics: Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, FIFA
