While the football world remains caught up in the endless Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate, other players continue building historic legacies that often go unnoticed amid the dominance of these two icons. The truth is that what Robert Lewandowski has achieved throughout his career is nothing short of historic in world football.
Lewandowski reaches the level of Cristiano Ronaldo and two others
During FC Barcelona’s 2-4 victory over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League**, the Polish striker became the fourth player in history to score at least 20 Champions League goals with two different clubs.
The achievement places Lewandowski alongside Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Manchester United), Neymar (Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain), and Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich)-a select group of elite forwards who have defined eras in Europe’s top competition.
Interestingly, despite his legendary status, Lionel Messi did not reach this milestone during his spell at Paris Saint-Germain.
Lewandowski has also now scored against his 39th different opponent in the Champions League, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s 38 and sitting just one behind Lionel Messi, who leads the all-time list with 40. Crucially, Lewandowski continues to compete at the highest level in Europe, unlike Messi and Ronaldo, who now play in the MLS and the Saudi Pro League, respectively.
To add another layer to his remarkable journey, Robert Lewandowski has reached 1,000 career matches between club and national team. Yet, in a twist of irony, his most recent appearance also marked the first own goal of his career-scoring at both ends of the pitch while still making football history.
Read the full article here
