Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was in a state of shock after idol Thierry Henry surprised him over a Zoom call during the FIFA Best Awards ceremony in Zurich.
The 32-year-old, who scored 55 times to help Bayern win the treble last season. beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to be crowned the Best FIFA Men's Player for the first time, scooping the prize courtesy of a combination of votes from fans, journalists, coaches and national team captains.
A humble Lewandowski revealed his delight during the onine ceremony.
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"This really is something - Messi and Ronaldo have been playing at the highest level for years and now I'm rubbing shoulders with them." Lewandowski said after winning the gong.
"This means that all the hard work has paid off. I wouldn't have achieved this without the team - they're the ones who create the situations for me. It'll take a while to absorb what I've achieved and I think I'll struggle to get to sleep tonight."
And moments after beating Messi and Ronaldo to the prize, Lewandowski was sat down in front of a screen and, to his surprise, Arsenal great Thierry Henry was on the line; a man he has idolised for years.
His reaction was priceless.
Lewandowski has always been open about his admiration for Henry.
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In an interview with Spanish journalist Guillem Balague for BBC Radio 5 Live, the Polish striker described what it was like watching the "amazing" Frenchman as a youngster.
"Growing up my dream was to play in the big stadiums with 80,000 fans but when I was young in Poland, we did not have any top players. I knew I could not just think about my country - I had to think bigger," said Lewandowski.
"I looked at the best player in the world and thought, why can a player from Poland not be one of the best in the world?"
"When I was six, I remember Roberto Baggio at the 1994 World Cup. When I was between 10 and 14, Alessandro del Piero was the best player for me. Then my idol was Thierry Henry. He was amazing - it was not just how he scored the goals but what he did for the team."
"When he was at Arsenal, I remember how easily he scored goals from different situations. He could score from the left side into the far corner with his right foot. It was so easy for him - I wanted to score a lot of goals too and I could learn from him."
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"I wanted to be the same player like that, but to be Robert Lewandowski. I could take some aspects from one or two of the players and be like my idol. I remember when I met Henry, I was like 'wow, I met my childhood idol'.
"Now he wants my jersey and I think, 'amazing'. "I believe that dreams come true."
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich, thierry henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bundesliga
