Bayern Munich and Poland star Robert Lewandowski scooped the FIFA accolade for Best Men’s Player as the 32-year-old frontman beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2020 vote for the award.
The prolific Lewandowski was rewarded for a remarkable 2019/20 season when he struck 55 goals in just 47 appearances for Bayern as the German giants won the Bundesliga title, the German Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Lewandowski beat last year’s winner Messi to the top FIFA award, as well as Portugal and Juventus icon Ronaldo, who had won the 2016 and 2017 editions of the prize.
Lewandowski’s FIFA accolade will go some way to making up for him missing out on the 2020 Ballon d’Or, which he had also been widely tipped to win before the award was scrapped this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Elsewhere at the awards on Thursday, which were held via a virtual ceremony from Zurich, England’s Lucy Bronze was named Best FIFA Women’s Player.
Liverpool’s Premier League-winning manger Jurgen Klopp was named Best Men’s Coach for the second year in a row, while the Best Women’s Coach accolade went to Netherlands coach Sarina Wiegman.
The Puskas Award for goal of the year went to Tottenham’s South Korean star Son Heung-min for his stunning solo goal against Burnley.
The award winners were chosen by an international jury consisting of national team captains, national coaches, members of the media and football fans.
Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was voted Best Men's Goalkeeper, but strangely did not make it into the FIFPRO WORLD XI, with Liverpool and Brazil stopper Alisson being placed between the sticks.
Liverpool teammates Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara were all selected, as was Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies, Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos and attacking trio Lewandowski, Messi and Ronaldo.
Women's goalkeeper of the year was France and Lyon stopper Sarah Bouhaddi, while the FIFPRO WOMEN'S WORLD XI included Lucy Bronze alongside the likes of US star Megan Rapinoe and prolific Dutchwoman Vivianne Miedema.