Robert Lewandowski is one of the finest football stars of the current generation, and he gave a brilliant response when he was asked who he thought was the greatest football player of all-time.
Lewandowski is one of the most revered strikers on the planet. His talent and consistency are up there with the best.
In 375 appearances for Bayern Munich, the Polish marksman has scored an incredible 344 goals. But he is one of a long list of talented players to have graced our generation.
Greats of the current generation
At present, the Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate is slowing down, as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe emerge as two of the world’s greatest.
However, Messi and Ronaldo are in another world in terms of their statistics and achievements.
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record seven times, while Ronaldo has been handed the award six times. The duo have dominated the football stage for over a decade.
Greats of previous generations
Before Messi and Ronaldo, there were Brazilian stars such as Ronaldinho, Kaka and Ronaldo Nazario.
In addition to them, there were even more brilliant players. Zinedine Zidane and Paul Gascoigne spring to mind.
Before that, Pele, Diego Maradona, Alfredo Di Stefano and Sir Bobby Charlton all played the beautiful game and captured the hearts and minds of so many.
With such a vast pool of players to pick from, it is little surprise that the debate of who is the GOAT rages on.
Robert Lewandowski responds to the GOAT question
When asked who he thought was the footballing GOAT, however, Robert Lewandowski went in a different direction.
In a 2021 interview with German great Lothar Matthaus for BILD, the Polish striker said: “There isn’t a single player who can be singled out.
“Players shape epochs (time periods). It used to be you [Matthaus]. The last 10, 15 years, Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho. Previously, the Brazilian striker Ronaldo.
“There are always extraordinary talents, appearances that simply convey fun in football. World stars manage to make difficult things appear easy and simple.”
Lewandowski believes that different generations birth different types of players, and that future generations of players will have different assets from current greats.
That can be seen by the fact that Haaland and Mbappe rely on their pace and power to gain an advantage over their opponents, as opposed to the sheer genius of the nimble Messi.
It will certainly be intriguing to see how this debate develops over future generations.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
