Polish footballer (born 1988)
Robert Lewandowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɛrt
lɛvanˈdɔfskʲi] ⓘ; born 21 August 1988) is a Polish professional footballer who🍎 plays as
a striker for La Liga club Barcelona and captains the Poland national team. He is
regarded as one🍎 of the best strikers of all time, as well as one of the most successful
players in Bundesliga and Bayern🍎 Munich history. He has scored over 600 senior career
goals for club and country.
After being the top scorer in the🍎 third and second tiers of
Polish football with Znicz Pruszków, Lewandowski moved to top-flight Lech Poznań,
helping the team win🍎 the 2009–10 Ekstraklasa. In 2010, he transferred to Borussia
Dortmund, where he won honors including two consecutive Bundesliga titles and🍎 the
league's top goalscorer award. In 2013, he also featured with Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA
Champions League Final. Prior🍎 to the start of the 2014–15 season, Lewandowski agreed to
join Dortmund's domestic rivals, Bayern Munich, on a free transfer.🍎 In Munich, he won
the Bundesliga title in every one of his eight seasons. Lewandowski was integral in
Bayern's UEFA🍎 Champions League win in 2024–20 as part of a treble. He is one of only
two players, alongside Johan Cruyff,🍎 to achieve the European treble while being the
highest goalscorer in all three competitions, and the first to do it🍎 as the sole top
scorer.[4][5] He was widely considered the best player of 2024 and deserving of the
Ballon d'Or,🍎 until it was canceled.[6][7][8] In 2024, he was signed by Barcelona, where
he won the Supercopa de España, the La🍎 Liga title and the Pichichi Trophy in his debut
season.
A full international for Poland since 2008, Lewandowski has earned 145🍎 caps and
was a member of their team at the UEFA European Championship in 2012, 2024, and 2024,
and the🍎 FIFA World Cup in 2024 and 2024. With 82 international goals, Lewandowski is
the all-time top scorer for Poland and🍎 the third overall men's international goalscorer
in Europe, only behind Ferenc Puskás (84) and Cristiano Ronaldo (123).[9] He won IFFHS
🍎 World's Best International Goal Scorer Award in 2024 and 2024, IFFHS World's Best Top
Goal Scorer Award in 2024 and🍎 2024, and IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer
Award in 2024. He also won the IFFHS World's Best Player🍎 in 2024 and 2024 and the
European Golden Shoe for the 2024–21 and 2024–22 seasons. Lewandowski has been named
the🍎 Polish Footballer of the Year a record eleven times and the Polish Sports
Personality of the Year three times. Moreover,🍎 he has won the Gerd Müller Trophy twice,
in 2024 and 2024.
In 2024, Lewandowski won the Best FIFA Men's Player🍎 Award (retained
in 2024) and the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award. He has been named to the UEFA
🍎 Team of the Year twice. He is the third-highest goalscorer in the history of the
Champions League. Lewandowski has been🍎 named the VDV Bundesliga Player of the Season a
record five times. He has scored over 300 goals in the🍎 Bundesliga (second-highest
goalscorer of all time in Bundesliga, only behind Gerd Müller's 365 Bundesliga goals),
having reached the century mark🍎 quicker than any other foreign player, and is the
league's all-time leading foreign goalscorer. In 2024, while playing for Bayern,🍎 he
scored five goals in less than nine minutes against VfL Wolfsburg, the fastest by any
player in Bundesliga history🍎 as well as any major European football league for which he
was awarded four Guinness World Records.[10] Moreover, he has🍎 won the Bundesliga Top
Scorer Award in seven seasons, most prominently in the 2024–21 Bundesliga where he
scored 41 goals🍎 in a single campaign, breaking Gerd Müller's previous Bundesliga record
of 40 goals, set in 1971–72.[11] On 30 November 2024,🍎 he finished second in the Ballon
d'Or, just 33 points behind the winner Lionel Messi.
Club career
Early career
"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 wasn't just how he🍎 scored the goals but what he did for the team."
—Lewandowski on his childhood role models[12]
Lewandowski was born in Warsaw[13]🍎 and
grew up in Leszno, Warsaw West County.[14] He took his first steps in football as an
unregistered player for🍎 the local club, Partyzant Leszno.[15] In 1997, he joined MKS
Varsovia Warsaw, where as a teen he played for seven🍎 years.[16] The following year he
moved to 4th tier side Delta Warsaw, where he finally managed to play in the🍎 first
team, scoring four goals at the end of the season.[17]
In 2006–07 [pl], Lewandowski was
the Polish third division's top🍎 goalscorer with 15 goals, helping Znicz Pruszków win
the promotion.[18] The next season, he was the top scorer in the🍎 Polish second highest
division with 21 goals.[18]
Lech Poznań
Lewandowski playing for Lech Poznań in 2009
In
June 2008, Lech Poznań signed Lewandowski🍎 from Znicz for 1.5 million PLN.[16][19]
Earlier that month, Lewandowski's agent Cezary Kucharski offered him to his former team
Sporting🍎 Gijón, which had been promoted to the La Liga, Spain's first division, after
ten years in the Segunda División. However,🍎 Gijón rejected him.[20]
He debuted for Lech
on 17 July 2008 as a substitute in the first qualifying first leg match🍎 of the UEFA Cup
versus Khazar Lankaran from Azerbaijan, in which he scored the only goal of the evening
in🍎 the 75th minute at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium. During his Ekstraklasa
debut in the first game of the season,🍎 in a match against GKS Bełchatów, he scored a
heel flick goal just four minutes after coming into the game🍎 late second half. In his
first season in the Polish top division, he was second in the goal-scoring charts.
Lewandowski🍎 finished the season with 18 goals in 42 matches.[21] He also scored in a
1–1 away draw against Wisła Kraków🍎 in the 2009 Polish Super Cup on 27 July, and
converted his attempt in the won penalty shoot-out. The next🍎 season, he became the top
scorer with 18 goals and helped his team win the 2009–10 championship.[21]
English
coach, Sam Allardyce,🍎 said that Lewandowski was about to join Premier League club
Blackburn Rovers in 2010, but the volcanic ash clouds caused🍎 by the 2010 eruptions of
Eyjafjallajökull which suspended all flights in and out of the UK, in addition to other
🍎 financial worries, prevented the potential transfer.[22] Moreover, Lewandowski was also
about to join Italian club Genoa, before president Enrico Preziosi🍎 decided to cancel
the transfer.[23]
Borussia Dortmund
2010–2012: League and cup double
Lewandowski at
Borussia Dortmund in 2010
Following press speculation that Lewandowski might🍎 move to
one of a number of clubs,[24][25] he joined Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund in June
2010, signing a four-year🍎 contract with the German club[26] for a fee reported to be
worth around €4.5 million.[27] On 19 September, he scored🍎 his first goal in the
Bundesliga to make it 3–0 in the Revierderby against Schalke 04; the game ended
3–1.[28]
In🍎 the 2011–12 Bundesliga campaign, Lewandowski profited from an injury to
Lucas Barrios and he was elevated to an ever-present position🍎 in the starting XI until
the winter break. The striker responded by finding the net two times in Dortmund's 3–0
🍎 DFB-Pokal first round victory over Sandhausen.[29] Lewandowski opened his league
account in a 2–0 win over Nürnberg on 20 August🍎 2011 by providing the finishing touch
from a Mario Götze cross.[30] On 1 October, Lewandowski netted a hat-trick and provided
🍎 an assist in the club's 4–0 victory over Augsburg, following a disappointing 0–3 loss
to Marseille in the UEFA Champions🍎 League group stage.[31] He later scored his first
Champions League goal in a 1–3 away defeat to Olympiacos on 19🍎 October.[32] Dortmund
climbed into second place in the Bundesliga with a comfortable 5–0 victory over Köln on
22 October, with🍎 Lewandowski finding the net either side of half-time.[33] Dortmund
travelled to Freiburg on 17 December and Lewandowski struck twice and🍎 provided an
assist for Kevin Großkreutz, as Dortmund eased to a 4–1 triumph, scoring his first
hat-trick in Bundesliga.[34] Due🍎 to his strong performances, he was named Footballer of
the Year in Poland.[35]
Following the winter break, on 22 January 2012,🍎 Dortmund
thrashed Hamburg 5–1 to move level on points with leaders Bayern Munich; Lewandowski
netted twice and added an assist🍎 for Jakub Błaszczykowski in the rout.[36] He scored in
a 1–0 home win over Bayern Munich on 11 April.[37] The🍎 result gave Dortmund a six-point
cushion over their title rivals with only four games left to play.[38] On 21 April,
🍎 Lewandowski provided the assist for Shinji Kagawa's 59th-minute goal as Dortmund won
2–0 over Borussia Mönchengladbach to seal their second🍎 straight title.[39] In the final
Bundesliga game of the campaign, Lewandowski scored two first-half goals as Dortmund
beat Freiburg 4–0🍎 and celebrated lifting the title.[40]
Lewandowski finished the year
as the third top goal scorer with 22 goals, none from the🍎 penalty spot, and six
assists.[41]
On 12 May, in the final game of the season for Dortmund, he scored a
hat-trick🍎 in the DFB-Pokal Final, a 5–2 win over Bayern Munich, to earn the club its
first domestic double.[42][43] Lewandowski finished🍎 as the DFB-Pokal's top goalscorer,
with seven goals from six games.[44]
2012–2014: Champions League runner-up and league
top goalscorer
Lewandowski playing for🍎 Borussia Dortmund in 2013
On 12 August 2012,
Lewandowski began the 2012–13 season by scoring in the 1–2 2012 DFL-Supercup defeat🍎 to
Bayern Munich.[45] He made his first appearance of the 2012–13 Bundesliga campaign in
Dortmund's 2–1 victory over Werder Bremen🍎 on the opening day of the season.[46]
He
netted his first goal in a 3–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on 15🍎 September 2012,
extending Dortmund's run to 31 games unbeaten and moved the club into third in the
Bundesliga.[47] Three days🍎 later, in the club's first Champions League game of the
season, Lewandowski scored an 87th-minute winner to defeat Ajax, 1–0.[48]🍎 He set club's
new record of the longest scoring streak, having scored in 12 consecutive league games,
surpassing Friedhelm Konietzka's🍎 record from 1964–65 season.[49] On 9 February 2013, he
opened the scoring in a home match against Hamburg, but was🍎 sent off in the 31st minute
for a foul on Per Ciljan Skjelbred and Dortmund lost 4–1.[citation needed]
According to
Borussia🍎 Dortmund director Michael Zorc, speaking in February 2013, Lewandowski would
not be renewing his contract with the club, and would🍎 leave either in the summer of
2013 or after the 2013–14 season.[50] He finished season with 24 league goals, one🍎 goal
short of the Bundesliga's top scorer, Bayer Leverkusen's Stefan Kießling.[citation
needed]
On 27 February 2013, Lewandowski played in his side's🍎 1–0 defeat to Bayern
Munich in the 2012–13 DFB-Pokal quarter final.[51] On 24 April, Lewandowski became the
first player to🍎 score four goals in a Champions League semi-final as Borussia Dortmund
defeated Spanish champions Real Madrid 4–1 in the first🍎 leg at Dortmund's Signal Iduna
Park.[52][53] On 25 May, he played in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final in which
🍎 Borussia Dortmund were defeated 1–2 by Bayern Munich.[54]
Lewandowski warming up for
Borussia Dortmund in 2014
On 27 July 2013, Lewandowski won🍎 the 2013 DFL-Supercup with
Dortmund, 4–2, against Bayern Munich.[55] He scored his first goal of the season in
Dortmund's 4–0🍎 win over Augsburg in the club's opening Bundesliga match on 10
August.[56] On 1 November, he scored his only hat-trick🍎 of the season in a 6–1
Bundesliga win against VfB Stuttgart.[57]
On 25 February 2014, Lewandowski scored twice
in the Champions🍎 League round of 16 first leg against Zenit Saint Petersburg, becoming
Dortmund's overall top scorer in European competition, surpassing Stéphane🍎 Chapuisat's
16 goals.[58]
He scored his 100th goal for the club on his 182nd appearance, as
Dortmund defeated VfL Wolfsburg 2–0🍎 in the semi-finals of the 2013–14 DFB-Pokal on 16
April, and revealed a shirt with the number 100 during celebration.[59]
Lewandowski
🍎 ended the 2013–14 season as the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 20 goals, which
earned him the Torjägerkanone [de].[60]🍎 He also scored six goals in the Champions
League, as Dortmund reached the quarter-finals.[61] During the second leg of the🍎 round
of 16 match between Borussia Dortmund and Zenit, Lewandowski received a second yellow
card, which resulted in his suspension🍎 for the first leg of the quarter-final against
Real Madrid.[citation needed]
Lewandowski played his final match for Dortmund in the
2014🍎 DFB-Pokal Final against Bayern Munich on 17 May. Head coach Jürgen Klopp had
excused him from some training ahead of🍎 the final due to injury concerns; although
Lewandowski played all 120 minutes of the final, Dortmund lost, 0–2.[62] He finished
🍎 the season with 28 goals in 48 matches.[55][63]
Bayern Munich
In November 2013,
Lewandowski confirmed he would sign a pre-contractual agreement for🍎 Borussia Dortmund's
rivals Bayern Munich,[64] which officially happened on 3 January 2014, when he signed a
five-year contract beginning at🍎 the start of the 2014–15 season.[65] Lewandowski was
officially presented as a Bayern Munich player on 9 July 2014.[66]
2014–2024: Third
🍎 Bundesliga title
Lewandowski playing for Bayern Munich in 2014
Pre-season started on 9
July 2014[67] at which time he was presented.[66] He🍎 made his pre–season debut against
MSV Duisburg on 21 July, scoring a goal in the process.[68] On 6 August, he🍎 opened the
scoring as Bayern contested the 2014 MLS All-Star Game at the Providence Park in
Portland, Oregon, eventually losing🍎 1–2.[69]
He made his competitive debut for his new
club in a 0–2 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the 2014 DFL-Supercup🍎 on 13 August 2014,[70]
and scored his first goal in a 1–1 draw against Schalke 04 in his second league🍎 match
on 30 August.[71] On 21 October, Lewandowski scored his first Champions League goal for
Bayern Munich in a 7–1🍎 away win against Roma.[72] On 1 November, in his first league
match against Dortmund, Lewandowski scored in a 2–1 win🍎 which put Bayern four points
clear at the top of the table while leaving his former club in a relegation🍎 play-off
place.[73] In his third match of the season against Dortmund on 4 April 2024,
Lewandowski scored in the 36th🍎 minute in a 1–0 win, after Dortmund's goalkeeper Roman
Weidenfeller "parried" Thomas Müller's shot.[74][75]
On 21 February 2024, Lewandowski
scored twice🍎 in Bayern's 6–0 win away at Paderborn, his second goal of the game was his
10th of the league season.[76]🍎 He scored twice in the first half on 21 April as Bayern
overturned a deficit from the first leg to🍎 defeat Porto 7–4 on aggregate and advance to
the semi-finals of the Champions League.[77] Five days later, after VfL Wolfsburg🍎 lost
to Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern won the Bundesliga title.[78] He scored again on 28
April, opening a 1–1 draw in🍎 the DFB-Pokal semi-final against Dortmund, but was later
involved in a mid-air collision with Mitchell Langerak in the 116th minute🍎 of extra
time.[79] The game ended in Bayern's elimination via a penalty shoot-out (0–2), and,
unusually, none of the four🍎 attempts were converted by the Munich side, at their own
stadium.[80][81] Although Lewandowski stayed until the end of the match,🍎 he didn't
participate in the shootout; and tests later confirmed that he had fractured jaw and
nose bone, and had🍎 a concussion, ruling him out for approximately one week.[82][83][84]
On 12 May, playing in a protective mask, he curled in🍎 at the 59th minute in his team's
3–2 home victory against eventual winners Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal
second🍎 leg, albeit they were eliminated by an aggregate score of 3–5.[85] With 17 goals
in 31 games, Lewandowski was joint-second🍎 highest scorer of the Bundesliga season
alongside teammate Arjen Robben, behind Eintracht Frankfurt's Alexander Meier.[86] He
finished the season with🍎 25 goals in 49 appearances.[70][87]
2024–2024: Domestic
success, Torjägerkanone, and 100 Bayern goals
Lewandowski training with Bayern Munich
in 2024
Lewandowski's second season🍎 began with the 2024 DFL-Supercup on 1 August, with
Bayern losing in a penalty shootout away to VfL Wolfsburg; he🍎 had been substituted in
the 72nd minute for Rafinha.[88] Eight days later in the DFB-Pokal first round match,
he scored🍎 the last goal in a 3–1 win against Oberliga Baden-Württemberg club
Nöttingen.[89] On 14 August, in the opening match of🍎 the new Bundesliga season, he
scored the second goal of a 5–0 win over Hamburg.[90]
On 22 September 2024, Lewandowski
set🍎 a Bundesliga record by coming on as a substitute with Bayern trailing 0–1 to
Wolfsburg and scoring five goals in🍎 8 minutes and 59 seconds, the fastest by any player
in Bundesliga history, to take a 5–1 lead. He also🍎 set Bundesliga records for the
fastest hat-trick (three goals in four minutes), and most goals scored by a substitute
(five).[91]🍎 Lewandowski's five goals in nine minutes was also the fastest in any major
European football league since Opta began keeping🍎 records, and it ended Wolfsburg's
14-match unbeaten run.[92] He was awarded four certificates by Guinness World Records
for this feat.[93]
Four🍎 days later, he scored twice in a 3–0 win at Mainz, the first
goal being his 100th Bundesliga goal on🍎 his 168th appearance, a league record for a
foreign player. He also reached 10 goals in the opening 7 matches🍎 with this brace, a
feat only achieved before by Gerd Müller.[94] On 29 September, he scored a Champions
League hat-trick🍎 in a 5–0 win over Dinamo Zagreb, putting him on ten goals in three
games in a week.[95] He added🍎 two in a 5–1 rout of Dortmund five days later, to total
12 goals in his last four appearances.[96] On🍎 24 October, Lewandowski scored in a 4–0
home win over 1. FC Köln, a result which made Bayern the first🍎 Bundesliga team ever to
win all 10 of their opening games of a season.[97] The victory in Cologne was also
🍎 Bayern's 1,000th win in the Bundesliga.[98] On 11 January 2024, he achieved fourth
place at the 2024 FIFA Ballon d'Or🍎 awards.[99]
On 19 March 2024, Lewandowski scored the
only goal in a 1–0 win against Köln to bring his league total🍎 up to 25 goals; a new
personal best.[100] He had scored 24 goals for Borussia Dortmund during the 2012–13
season.[101]🍎 He also started Bayern's comeback with a 73rd-minute header in the second
leg of the round of 16 on 16🍎 March, after trailing 0–2 home to Juventus, which Munich
eventually won 4–2 after extra time, and 6–4 on aggregate.[102] His🍎 goal against
Atlético Madrid on 3 May in the second leg of Bayern's Champions League semifinal exit
saw him end🍎 the season's competition with nine goals.[103]
On 7 May 2024, Lewandowski
scored both goals for Bayern in a 2–1 win at🍎 Ingolstadt to confirm the Bavarian club as
champions of Germany for the fourth consecutive season.[104] A week later, he scored
🍎 his 30th goal of the season in Bayern's final league match of the season at home to
Hannover 96. This🍎 made him the first foreign player to score 30 goals in the
Bundesliga, the first player since Dieter Müller in🍎 1976–77, and secured him the
Torjägerkanone for the second time in three seasons.[105] He finished the season with
42 goals🍎 in 51 matches.[88][106]
The 2024–17 season started with Bayern winning the
2024 DFL-Supercup on 14 August.[107] Five days later, Bayern defeated🍎 Carl Zeiss Jena
5–0 in the DFB-Pokal first round, with the help of Lewandowski's hat-trick during the
first half and🍎 assist to Arturo Vidal in the 72nd minute.[108][109] He opened the
2024–17 Bundesliga season with another hat-trick in a 6–0🍎 victory against Werder
Bremen.[110] On 13 December, Lewandowski signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him
at the club until🍎 2024.[111]
On 11 March 2024, Lewandowski reached 100 goals for Bayern
in his 137th appearance for the club, scoring twice in🍎 a 3–0 victory against Eintracht
Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.[112] He finished the season with 42 goals in 47
matches.[107][113]
2024–2024: Consecutive🍎 Golden Boots and all-time foreign Bundesliga
goalscorer
Lewandowski training with Bayern Munich in 2024
The season began with Bayern
Munich winning the🍎 2024 DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund, in which Lewandowski
scored the opening goal for the Bavarians by controlling a low cross🍎 from Joshua
Kimmich to cancel out Christian Pulisic's opener. The match ended 2–2 after extra time.
Lewandowski, again, scored the🍎 first penalty of the shootout as Bayern eventually won
5–4.[114]
Lewandowski started from where he left in the last season and🍎 once again was
the top scorer in the early stages of the 2024–18 Bundesliga. On 13 December, in the
league🍎 fixture against Köln, he scored the only goal of the game, to reach Bundesliga's
top ten goalscorers of all time.[115]🍎 A couple of months later, on Matchday 22,
Lewandowski again found the back of the net against Schalke 04 at🍎 the Allianz Arena to
equal the record of scoring in 11 successive home games in a single season, a record
🍎 also held by then Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes.[116] He continued his goal scoring form
by netting a hat-trick against Hamburg🍎 as the runaway leaders won 6–0, while he also
missed a kick from the spot which would have been his🍎 fourth goal of the day. This was
his first penalty missed for Bayern in the Bundesliga, nevertheless he scored the
🍎 second spot kick to complete his hat-trick.[117]
On 11 February 2024, he was voted
Poland's Footballer of the Year for the🍎 seventh time in a row.[118] On 22 February, he
fired his long-time agent, Cezary Kucharski. Lewandowski hired renowned dealmaker Pini
🍎 Zahavi as his new agent; the hiring of Zahavi was rumoured to be the start of
Lewandowski trying to seal🍎 a summer move to Real Madrid.[119] On 24 February, he played
his 250th Bundesliga game against Hertha BSC.[120] On 19🍎 May, Lewandowski scored
Bayern's only goal in a 3–1 defeat in the DFB-Pokal Final against Eintracht
Frankfurt.[121]
Lewandowski finished the league🍎 as the Bundesliga's top goalscorer with
29 goals. This was the third time he won the Torjägerkanone award.[122] He finished🍎 the
season with 41 goals in 48 matches in all competitions.[123]
On 1 August, after a
summer of transfer speculation, Bayern🍎 CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, confirmed in an
interview that Lewandowski would not be allowed to leave Bayern at any price, saying
🍎 "the top quality we have at Bayern Munich will stay here. With Robert, we clearly want
to send a signal🍎 to people within and outside the club: Bayern Munich are completely
different to other clubs who get weak when certain🍎 sums are mentioned"[124] On 12
August, Lewandowski recorded the first ever hat-trick in the DFL-Supercup in a 0–5 away
victory🍎 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2024 edition as Bayern Munich went on to win
the title for the record seventh🍎 time.[125] He also became the all-time top scorer in
the German Supercup history.[126][127]
On 27 November, Lewandowski became the
third-fastest player🍎 to score 50 goals (after Lionel Messi and Ruud van Nistelrooy) in
the Champions League, when he scored two goals🍎 in a 5–1 group stage home win over
Benfica. It took Lewandowski just 77 Champions League matches to reach the
🍎 milestone.[128] He finished as the top scorer in the Champions League group stage with
eight goals in six matches.[129] On🍎 9 February 2024, Lewandowski scored in a 3–1 win
over Schalke 04 and became the first player to score 100🍎 competitive goals at the
Allianz Arena. His goal was also his 119th league goal for Bayern Munich, which saw him
🍎 draw level with Roland Wohlfarth as the club's third-highest goalscorer of
all-time.[130]
He surpassed Wohlfarth the following month after scoring a🍎 brace in a
5–1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, with his second goal also seeing him equal
Claudio Pizarro's record of🍎 195 league goals for the most Bundesliga goals by a foreign
player.[131][132] In his very next fixture, he broke Pizarro's🍎 record by scoring twice
in a 6–0 win over Wolfsburg.[133] On 6 April, in the 100th Bundesliga meeting between
Bayern🍎 Munich and Dortmund, Lewandowski scored twice in a 5–0 win, with his first goal
taking him to 200 goals in🍎 the league.[134][135]
Lewandowski ended the league campaign
as the Bundesliga's top goalscorer with 22 goals for the fourth time.[136] On 25🍎 May,
he scored a brace as Bayern won against Leipzig 3–0 in the 2024 DFB-Pokal Final. With
his goals, he🍎 became the all-time top scorer in the DFB-Pokal finals with six,
surpassing Gerd Müller on five.[137] Lewandowski finished the season🍎 with 40 goals in
47 matches in all competitions, reaching the 40-goal landmark for the fourth
consecutive season, also winning🍎 his second domestic double with
Bayern.[138]
2024–2024: Treble, Best FIFA Men's Player, and UEFA Men's Player of the
Year
Lewandowski playing for🍎 Bayern Munich in 2024
On 12 August, Lewandowski scored his
first goal of the season when Bayern defeated Energie Cottbus 3–1🍎 in the first round of
the DFB-Pokal.[139] Four days later, he scored two goals in the 2024–20 Bundesliga
opener against🍎 Hertha BSC. With his goals, Lewandowski set a Bundesliga record for
scoring a goal in the season opener for the🍎 fifth year in a row.[140] He then scored a
hat-trick against Schalke at the Veltins Arena on 24 August, as🍎 the Reds won 3–0.[141]
On 29 August, Lewandowski extended his contract at Bayern until 2024.[142] Lewandowski
scored his 200th goal🍎 for Bayern in a 3–0 win against Serbian club Red Star Belgrade in
the Champions League on 18 September.[143] Later🍎 that month, after scoring his tenth
goal of the campaign during a 3–2 win over Paderborn 07, he became the🍎 first player in
Bundesliga history to achieve double figures for goals scored after the first six match
rounds.[144] Lewandowski then🍎 became the first player in Bundesliga history to score in
each of the opening nine, ten and eleven matches of🍎 a season, surpassing the record of
eight set by former Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.[145][146][147]
On 26 November, Lewandowski scored🍎 4 goals in under 15 minutes as Bayern defeated Red
Star Belgrade 6–0 in their reverse fixture and clinched first🍎 place in their Champions
League group, setting a new record for fastest time to score four goals in a Champions
🍎 League match. He also became only the second player ever to score four goals in
multiple Champions League matches.[148]
On 25🍎 February 2024, Lewandowski equalled
Cristiano Ronaldo's record of nine away goals in a season in Europe's top club
competition. He🍎 did so by scoring a goal in a 3–0 win against Chelsea at Stamford
Bridge (he also assisted Serge Gnabry🍎 twice in that match).[149] On 10 August,
Lewandowski scored a brace and provided two assists in a 4–1 win over🍎 Chelsea in the
return leg.[150] On 14 August, he assisted and scored in Bayern's 8–2 decimation of
Barcelona in the🍎 quarter-finals.[151] Lewandowski scored another goal, to be 15 goals
in total, in his ninth consecutive Champions League match in Bavarian's🍎 semifinal 3–0
win against Lyon.[152] His European scoring streak ended when he failed to score a goal
in the Champions🍎 League final match against Paris Saint-Germain on 23 August;
nevertheless, Bayern defeated PSG 1–0, giving Lewandowski his first Champions League
🍎 title.[153] He also became the second player ever to win the European treble while
being the top scorer in all🍎 three competitions, repeating Johan Cruyff's achievement
with Ajax from the 1971–72 season.[154] However, Lewandowski was the first to do so🍎 as
the sole top scorer in all three competitions.[155]
2024–2024: Ballon d'Or Striker of
the Year and European Golden Shoe
Lewandowski (second🍎 from right) with his Bayern
Munich teammates during a Champions League match against Lokomotiv Moscow in 2024
On 18
September, in🍎 an 8–0 win over Schalke 04, in which Lewandowski scored a penalty, he
provided a rabona assist to Thomas Müller,🍎 which was praised as the best of the
season.[156][157] On 24 September, Lewandowski assisted Leon Goretzka's opener in 2–1
victory🍎 over 2024–20 UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup in
Budapest.[158] 6 days later, he played🍎 in Bayern's 3–2 win over Borussia Dortmund in
the 2024 DFL-Supercup, to win their fifth trophy of the year.[159] On🍎 4 October, he
scored all four goals in a 4–3 win against Hertha BSC.[160] On 24 October, he scored a
🍎 hat-trick in a 5–0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt, to become the first player in
Bundesliga to score ten goals in🍎 only five matches.[161] On 16 December, he scored a
brace against Wolfsburg to be the third player to pass the🍎 250-goal mark in Bundesliga,
after Gerd Müller and Klaus Fischer.[162] After winning the treble with Bayern Munich
and his performances🍎 in the tournaments,[163] he was named The Best FIFA Men's Player
2024 on 17 December, becoming the first Polish player🍎 to win the award.[164][165] The
cancellation of the 2024 Ballon d'Or was met with extensive criticism, as most news and
🍎 sports organisations believed Lewandowski was the front-runner and should have won the
award.[166]
On 17 January 2024, Lewandowski became the first🍎 player in Bundesliga
history to score 21 goals after just 16 games – a new Hinrunde record, beating Gerd
Müller's🍎 20 goals during the 1968–69 season.[167] On 8 February, he scored a brace in a
2–0 win over Al Ahly🍎 in the 2024 FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals.[168] On 11 February,
he won the FIFA Club World Cup 2024 with🍎 the club after 1–0 win against Mexican
top-flight club Tigres in the final, as Bayern became the second club ever🍎 (after
Barcelona in 2009) to win the sextuple. He was also involved in Benjamin Pavard's
winning goal, and was named🍎 player of the tournament.[169] On 23 February, Lewandowski
opened the score in a 4–1 win against Lazio in the first🍎 leg of the Champions League
round of 16, reaching his 72nd Champions League goal and surpassing Raúl as the third
🍎 highest goalscorer in the competition's history.[170] On 6 March, he scored his 12th
Bundesliga hat-trick in a 4–2 win over🍎 his former club Borussia Dortmund, to reach 31
goals in 23 matches.[171] On 13 March, he scored a goal in🍎 a 3–1 away win over Werder
Bremen, hence he became the joint-second on the all-time Bundesliga scoring list with
268🍎 goals along with Klaus Fischer.[172] On 20 March, he surpassed Fischer, as he
scored a perfect hat-trick in the first🍎 half of a 4–0 win over VfB Stuttgart.[173]
On
28 March, Lewandoski scored two goals in a 3–0 home win against🍎 Andorra in a World Cup
qualification match, and also damaged ligaments in his right knee (he was taken off
after🍎 63 minutes); he missed both Champions League quarter-final matches against Paris
Saint-Germain, in which Bayern Munich lost on away goals🍎 rule after a 3–3 draw on
aggregate.[174] On 24 April, he returned after almost a month on the sidelines in🍎 a 1–2
defeat to Mainz, where he scored in added time.[175] On 8 May, he scored his 14th
Bundesliga hat-trick🍎 in a 6–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.[176] On 22 May, he
broke Gerd Müller's record of 40 goals in the🍎 1971–72 season with a 90th-minute goal in
Bayern's 5–2 win over Augsburg to reach his 41st goal on the final🍎 day of the
season.[177] He also managed to win his first European Golden Shoe award.[178]
Lewandowski finished the season with🍎 48 goals in 40 matches in all competitions,
reaching at least the 40-goal landmark for the sixth time.[179]
2024–2024: Final season
🍎 with Bayern and second European Golden Shoe
Lewandowski kicked off his 2024–22
Bundesliga season with a volley-shot equaliser in a 1–1🍎 opening fixture draw against
Borussia Mönchengladbach on 13 August, making him the first player to score in seven
consecutive Bundesliga🍎 opening games.[180] He also scored a brace and backheeled to
Thomas Müller in a 3–1 away win against Dortmund in🍎 the 2024 DFL-Supercup on 17 August.
The match was preceded by a moment of silence for Gerd Müller, who died🍎 two days
earlier.[181] On 28 August, he scored his 15th Bundesliga hat-trick in a 5–0 win over
Hertha BSC,[182] setting🍎 a new club and German record for the most consecutive
appearances in all competitions with a goal at 16,[183] surpassing🍎 the previous record
of 15 held by Gerd Müller from 1969 to 1970.[184] In addition, he managed to reach more
🍎 than 300 goals with Bayern Munich in all competitions.[185] On 18 September,
Lewandowski scored in his 13th consecutive Bundesliga home🍎 match against VfL Bochum,
surpassing the previous league record of 12 held by Gerd Müller (October 1969 to April
1970)🍎 and Jupp Heynckes (June 1972 to February 1973).[186]
"You deserve your Ballon
d'Or. Last year everyone agreed that you were the🍎 winner. Hopefully France Football can
give it to you to have in your home, because you were the true winner🍎 if it weren't for
the pandemic. You should have one in your house too." — 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel
🍎 Messi on Lewandowski in his acceptance speech after the award was cancelled the
previous year[187]
On 23 November, Lewandowski opened the🍎 score with a bicycle kick in
a 2–1 away win against Dynamo Kiev in a Champions League group stage match,🍎 becoming
the first player to score in nine consecutive games in two separate seasons of the
competition.[188] Midway through the🍎 season, Lewandowski finished second in the 2024
Ballon d'Or award, behind Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain and received the Striker
🍎 of the Year award by the France Football magazine.[189] On 17 December, Lewandowski set
the Bundesliga record for most goals🍎 in a calendar year with his 43rd goal.[190]
On 15
January 2024, Lewandowski scored his 16th hat-trick and 300th Bundesliga goal🍎 in a 4–0
away win over 1. FC Köln.[191] On 8 March, Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in a 7–1 win
🍎 over Red Bull Salzburg in the second leg of Champions League round of 16. Coming inside
the first 23 minutes🍎 of the match, Lewandowski's hat-trick becomes the earliest ever
scored by a player from the start of a Champions League🍎 match. Taking just 11 minutes
from first goal to last, Lewandowski's three-goal extravaganza against Salzburg also
ranks as the quickest🍎 hat-trick ever scored in the knockout phases of the Champions
League. With these goals he took himself beyond the 40-goal🍎 mark in all competitions
for the seventh consecutive season.[192] However, Lewandowski finished the league with
35 goals as top scorer🍎 for the fifth consecutive season and seventh outright, equaling
the record of Gerd Müller. He also broke the Bundesliga record🍎 for most away goals in a
single season with 19 goals.[193] In addition, he won his second European Golden Shoe
🍎 award for the second consecutive season.[194]
On 30 May 2024, Lewandowski stated his
desire to leave Bayern Munich, saying "My story🍎 with Bayern has come to an end, I
cannot imagine further good cooperation... I hope they will not stop me🍎 (from leaving)
just because they can. A transfer is the best solution for
everyone."[195]
Barcelona
Transfer
At Bayern Munich, Lewandowski established himself as
🍎 one of the best players of his generation. On 16 July 2024, Barcelona confirmed they
had reached an agreement with🍎 Bayern Munich for Lewandowski's transfer.[196] Three days
later, Lewandowski signed a four-year contract for a fee of €45 million, potentially
🍎 rising to €50 million with add-ons.[197] The contract included a release clause set at
€500 million.[198] Lewandowski became the most🍎 expensive Polish player in history and
Bayern Munich's most expensive sale of all time.[199] Lewandowski was formally unveiled
in front🍎 of 50,000 fans on 5 August at the Camp Nou, and was handed the number 9 shirt,
previously worn by🍎 Memphis Depay, and was officially registered on 12 August, amid
speculation that the club could not register him as they🍎 were over the league's salary
cap limit, due to their financial difficulties.[200][201][202][203]
2024–23: La Liga
title and Pichichi Trophy
On 7 August🍎 2024, he scored his first ever goal for Barcelona
in a 6–0 victory over Mexican club UNAM in the Joan🍎 Gamper Trophy pre-season match held
at the Camp Nou.[204] On 13 August, he made his competitive debut for the club🍎 in 0–0
draw against Rayo Vallecano in the league.[205] On 21 August, he scored his first
competitive goals for Blaugrana,🍎 netting a brace in a 4–1 victory over Real Sociedad on
21 August,[206] followed by another brace against Real Valladolid🍎 in a 4–0 victory on
28 August.[207] On 7 September, in his first game as a Barcelona player in Champions
🍎 League, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 victory over Viktoria Plzeň, becoming the first
player in history to score🍎 a Champions League hat-trick for three different
clubs.[208][209] On 11 September, he scored his sixth league goal of the season🍎 in his
sixth league match for Barcelona, in their 4–0 win over Cádiz, breaking Cristiano
Ronaldo's record of scoring five🍎 goals in five consecutive league games in La
Liga,[210] and eventually registered eleven goal contributions including nine goals and
two🍎 assists in seven matches, after scoring the only goal of an away win over Mallorca
on 1 October.[211]
On 12 October,🍎 Lewandowski scored a brace in Barcelona's Champions
League fixture against Inter Milan, with his last minute equalizer securing a 3–3🍎 home
draw for the Blaugrana at Camp Nou.[212] Despite scoring five goals in the competition,
his goals were not able🍎 to help Barcelona, as they finished third in the group stage
which put them in the Europa League knockout round🍎 play-offs for the second consecutive
season.[213] On 8 November, Lewandowski was sent off for the second time in his club
🍎 career for a foul on David García, later receiving a three-game ban, as Barcelona won
2–1 against Osasuna.[214][215] However, Lewandowski🍎 participated in the 1–1 tie against
rivals Espanyol on 31 December after his ban was suspended by a court in🍎 Madrid, but
still ended up serving the disqualification, as Spain's sports court upheld the
punishment, missing the league matches against🍎 Atlético Madrid, Girona and
Getafe.[216]
On 16 January 2024, he scored the second goal in the 2024 Supercopa de
España final,🍎 as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3–1 in El Clásico, winning his first
title with the club.[217] On 14 May, he🍎 scored two goals as Barcelona defeated Espanyol
4–2, confirming them as La Liga champions.[218][219] By the end of the 2024–23🍎 La Liga
season, Lewandowski won his first Pichichi Trophy with 23 goals in 34 matches[220]
becoming the first player in🍎 top 5 European leagues to get top scorer award in six
consecutive seasons.
2024–24 season
On 19 September 2024, Lewandowski scored once🍎 in
Barcelona's 5–0 home win over Antwerp in the first matchday of the 2024–24 UEFA
Champions League to bring his🍎 UEFA competitions tally to 100 goals, becoming only the
third player to reach such a milestone after Cristiano Ronaldo and🍎 Lionel
Messi.[221][222] On 23 September, he scored a brace to help Barcelona overturn a
two-goal deficit in a 3–2 home🍎 victory against Celta Vigo, becoming the best scorer in
first 50 matches for the club in 21st century surpassing the🍎 record previoulsly held by
Samuel Eto'o.[223]
International career
2007–2013: Youth level and early international
career
Lewandowski taking on József Varga and Vilmos Vanczák🍎 of Hungary during a
friendly match in 2011
Lewandowski began his international career with Poland under-19
in 2007.[224] He would also🍎 make three appearances for Poland's U21 team, in friendly
matches against England, Belarus and Finland.[citation needed]
His debut for the senior
🍎 national team came on 10 September 2008, three weeks after his 20th birthday, against
San Marino where he came on🍎 as a substitute and scored a goal in a 2–0 away win in 2010
FIFA World Cup qualification.[225][226] Only Włodzimierz🍎 Lubański scored a goal on his
debut for the national team at a younger age than Lewandowski, having been 16🍎 at the
time. Lewandowski scored another qualifying goal against the same team on 1 April 2009,
in a 10–0 victory.[227]
Playing🍎 in Warsaw in the opening match of the UEFA Euro 2012
tournament against Greece, Lewandowski scored the first goal of🍎 the competition after
an assist from then Dortmund teammate Jakub Błaszczykowski and was named Man of the
Match.[228] He played🍎 in all three games for Poland in the tournament, as the co-hosts
crashed out of the group stage with two🍎 points earned.[229][230]
2013–2024: Assuming
the captaincy
Lewandowski playing for Poland against Ireland in 2013
Lewandowski scored
two penalties in the 5–0 win against🍎 San Marino on 26 March 2013 during the 2014 World
Cup qualifying campaign, his first match as captain.[231] Later on🍎 in the campaign, on
6 September, he scored the equaliser against Montenegro in a 1–1 home draw.[232] Poland
did not🍎 qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.[233]
On 7 September 2014, in Poland's
first UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier, away against🍎 Gibraltar, Lewandowski scored his first
international hat-trick, netting four goals in a 7–0 win.[234] On 13 June 2024, he
scored🍎 another hat-trick in Poland's 4–0 defeat of Georgia, with the three goals scored
within the space of four minutes.[235] On🍎 8 October, he scored twice in a 2–2 draw away
to Scotland, opening and equalising with the last kick of🍎 the game to eliminate the
hosts.[236] Three days later he headed the winner in a 2–1 victory against the Republic
🍎 of Ireland, qualifying Poland for the tournament finals in France.[237] Lewandowski
ended the campaign with 13 goals, a joint European🍎 Championships qualifying record with
David Healy's tally for Northern Ireland in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying.[238]
At UEFA
Euro 2024 in France,🍎 Lewandowski did not have a shot on target until the last-16 match
against Switzerland in Saint-Étienne.[239] Following the 1–1 draw,🍎 he scored his team's
first attempt in the penalty shootout victory that sent them to the quarter-finals for
the first🍎 time.[240] In the 100th second of the quarter-final against Portugal at the
Stade Vélodrome, he finished Kamil Grosicki's cross to🍎 open another 1–1 draw, and again
scored in the shootout although the Poles lost.[241] At the time of Poland's exit,
🍎 Lewandowski had suffered more fouls than any other player in the
tournament.[241]
2024–present: All-time Poland top scorer
On 5 October 2024,
Lewandowski🍎 scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Armenia to take his tally to 50 goals
for Poland, surpassing the🍎 previous record of 48 goals set by Włodzimierz Lubański to
become the all-time top scorer for Poland.[242][243] On 8 October🍎 2024, Lewandowski
scored a goal in a 4–2 win over to Montenegro taking his tally to 51 goals for
Poland.[244]🍎 He finished the 2024 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with 16 total
goals, a record for a European World Cup🍎 qualifier.[244]
Lewandowski was called up to
the 23-man Polish squad for the 2024 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[245] Lewandowski played
every🍎 minute in all three matches, against Senegal, Colombia and Japan. Lewandowski did
not score a goal and Poland failed to🍎 qualify for the knockout phase.[246]
On 19 June
2024, in Poland's second group match of UEFA Euro 2024 against Spain, Lewandowski
🍎 scored the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw; hence, he became the first Polish player to
score in three consecutive🍎 European Championships.[247][248] On 23 June, he scored a
brace in a 2–3 defeat against Sweden; however, Poland finished last in🍎 their group and
were knocked out from the group stages.[249]
Lewandowski was selected for national
squad ahead of the 2024 FIFA🍎 World Cup in Qatar. During the first game against Mexico,
he missed a penalty;[250] however, in the second match against🍎 Saudi Arabia, he scored
his maiden goal at a FIFA World Cup as his Poland downed the first match giant🍎 killer
Saudi Arabia 2–0, ultimately played a key role in condemning Saudi Arabia and Mexico to
elimination.[251] He scored his🍎 second World Cup goal on a penalty in a 3–1 loss to
France in the round of 16.[252]
Style of play
Lewandowski🍎 playing against FC Nürnberg
in 2024
Lewandowski is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the
world,[253][254][255][256] and is🍎 considered by many to be one of the greatest
centre-forwards of all time.[257] An accurate and efficient finisher with his🍎 head and
both feet, Lewandowski is a prolific goalscorer, which has led him to be dubbed
Lewangoalski.[258] A well-rounded forward,🍎 he is said to possess almost all the
necessary qualities of a traditional number nine: height, strength, balance, pace,
intelligent🍎 movement and proficiency with both feet.[259] Although he primarily
operates as a goal-poacher in the penalty area, due to his🍎 positional sense, ability to
shoot first time, strength in the air, and powerful shot with either foot, his
excellent technical🍎 skills, quick feet, proficient dribbling, vision, and physique also
enable him to hold up the ball with his back to🍎 goal and either bring his teammates
into play, or win fouls for his team in useful positions; despite often functioning🍎 as
a lone-centre forward or as an out-and-out striker.
He has also stood out for his
work-rate and defensive contribution off🍎 the ball, and is capable of dropping into
deeper roles on the pitch, in order to create space for teammates🍎 with his movement, or
surprise defenders by making late and sudden attacking runs into the area. Lewandowski
is an accurate🍎 penalty taker and has repeatedly shown coolness and composure on the
spot; he is also capable of scoring from long🍎 range, and has been known to take free
kicks. In addition to his playing ability, Lewandowski has also been praised🍎 for his
outstanding work-ethic, fitness, mentality, and discipline, both on the pitch and in
training, by pundits, players and managers.[260][261][262][263][264]
Personal
🍎 life
Lewandowski in 2010
Lewandowski's father gave him the name Robert to make it
easier for him when moving abroad as a🍎 professional footballer.[262] Lewandowski's
father, Krzysztof (died in 2005),[265] was a Polish judo champion, and also played
football for Hutnik Warsaw🍎 in the second division.[266] His mother, Iwona, is a former
volleyball player for AZS Warsaw and later vice-president of Partyzant🍎 Leszno.[266] His
sister, Milena, also plays volleyball and has represented the U21 national
team.[266]
His wife, Anna Lewandowska, won the bronze🍎 medal at the 2009 Karate World
Cup.[266] They married on 22 June 2013 in the Church of the Annunciation of🍎 the Blessed
Virgin Mary in Serock. They have two daughters: Klara (born 2024) and Laura (born
2024).[267][268]
Lewandowski is a practising🍎 Catholic.[269] He met Pope Francis in
October 2014, when Bayern Munich visited Vatican City following a 7–1 win over A.S.
🍎 Roma in the UEFA Champions League.[270]
In October 2024, the day after scoring to help
Poland qualify for the 2024 World🍎 Cup, Lewandowski finished his Bachelor of Physical
Education (BPhEd) with coaching and management at the Academy of Sport Education in
🍎 Warsaw, concluding a decade of studies.[271][272][273]
In addition to his native
Polish, Lewandowski also speaks English and German.[274][275]
Lewandowski is a fan🍎 of
tennis and paddle tennis.[276] He practiced playing tennis with Ana Ivanovic, the wife
of his friend Bastian Schweinsteiger[277] and🍎 knows personally Novak
Djokovic.[278][279] He attended his matches in Qatar and United Arab Emirates.[280] In
2024, he personally congratulated Iga🍎 Świątek on winning the 2024 Roland Garros.[281]
He also plays golf[282] and is interested in motor sports, including Formula One.[283]
🍎 [284] In 2024 and 2024 as Aston Martin special guest, he attended the Monaco Grand
Prix.[285] In 2024, he visited🍎 the paddock of Scuderia Ferrari during the Spanish Grand
Prix.[286]
Philanthropy and business
Lewandowski (left) featured on a mural in Chorzów
alongside🍎 Gerard Cieślik and Włodzimierz Lubański, 2024
Lewandowski and his wife, Anna,
have supported, donated and raised money for various charitable organisations🍎 and for
children throughout their career, including Children's Memorial Health Institute in
Warsaw, for which they've raised more than PLN🍎 150,000 during Anna's birthday party on
25 August 2024.[287] Lewandowski also donated PLN 100,000 for the treatment of Cyprian
Gaweł,🍎 a three-year-old boy from Hel;[288] and helps raising funds for the Great
Orchestra of Christmas Charity each year, donating his🍎 personal items or private
meetings that are sold at online auctions.[289][290][291]
In March 2014, he was named a
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.[292]🍎 In June the same year, he visited a refugee camp in
Zaatari, Jordan, and took part in the "Voice of🍎 the Children" campaign in which he
appealed for support of children affected by humanitarian crises.[293]
In 2024, he and
his wife🍎 donated PLN 500,000 to Children's Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw.[294]
In
March 2024, Lewandowski and his wife, Anna, donated €1 million🍎 during the COVID-19
pandemic.[295]
In January 2024, he won a charity auction in which he paid PLN 280,000
for Dawid Tomala's🍎 Olympic gold medal. The funds were used to finance the operation of
a seriously ill boy.[296] Lewandowski subsequently returned the🍎 medal to
Tomala.[297]
In February 2024, Lewandowski condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine
and showed his solidarity with the Ukrainian people🍎 by wearing a blue and yellow
armband during a Bundesliga match.[298] The armband was later auctioned for PLN 27,000
and🍎 the money was used to purchase humanitarian aid for Ukraine.[299]
Beside
philanthropy, Lewandowski also invests primarily in startups, e-commerce, and websites,
🍎 mainly through Protos Venture Capital, a company of which he is a shareholder.[300] He
also owns Stor9_, an agency specialising🍎 in marketing communications.[301] In 2024,
Lewandowski and his wife Anna's net worth was estimated at PLN 625 million (US$ 140
🍎 million), making them claim the 89th place on the "List of 100 Richest Poles" compiled
by the Wprost magazine.[302]
Since 2011🍎 until 2024, he had a sponsorship contract with
Gillette and appeared in numerous advertising campaigns of the brand.[303] In 2024,🍎 the
contract was renewed.[304] In 2013, Lewandowski signed a sponsorship deal with
Nike.[305] He also collaborated and appeared in advertisements🍎 of Panasonic,[306]
T-Mobile Polska,[307] Coca-Cola,[308] Head & Shoulders[309] and 4F.[310]
In 2024, a
mobile game Lewandowski: Euro Star 2024 was released🍎 on Android and iOS
platforms.[311]
In March 2024, Lewandowski cancelled his sponsorship deal with Chinese
telecom company Huawei after the company's🍎 reported support to Russia following the
Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lewandowski had signed on as the global ambassador for
Huawei,🍎 after agreeing to a partnership in November 2024.[312][313]
Lewandowski
featured on the cover of the Polish edition of EA Sports' FIFA🍎 15 video game, alongside
Lionel Messi.[314] Lewandowski's "X" goal celebration—arms crossed and index fingers
pointing up—has appeared in EA Sports'🍎 FIFA series since FIFA 18.[315]
In 2024,
Lewandowski was the most popular Pole on social media. His accounts on Instagram,
YouTube🍎 and Tik Tok were followed by over 62 million people.[316] In 2024, he was the
subject of a documentary film🍎 entitled Lewandowski − Nieznany (Lewandowski − Unknown),
which premiered on 28 March and is available on Amazon Prime.[317][318]
Career
statistics
Club
As of🍎 match played 4 January 2024[21][319]
International
As of match
played 21 November 2024[320]
Appearances and goals by national team and year National
team🍎 Year Apps Goals Poland 2008 4 2 2009 12 1 2010 13 6 2011 11 3 2012 10 2 2013🍎 10 3
2014 6 5 2024 7 11 2024 12 8 2024 6 9 2024 11 4 2024 10 6🍎 2024 4 2 2024 12 11 2024 10 4
2024 8 4 Total 146 82
Honours
Znicz Pruszków
Lech Poznań[321]
Borussia
Dortmund[321]
Bayern Munich
Barcelona
Individual
Orders
See also
