From the outside, it looked like just another flashpoint in a high-stakes World Cup match. But behind the brief glances, ignored gestures, and tense body language lay a much deeper story. When Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski crossed paths on soccer’s biggest stage, it was clear that something more than simple competitive fire was at play. What fans witnessed in Qatar was not the beginning of a rivalry—but the visible tip of a fracture that had been quietly forming for years.
During the group-stage clash between Argentina and Poland at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, cameras lingered on two of the sport’s most decorated forwards. A foul. An attempted apology. A cold reaction. Messi, now playing for the club in Miami, appeared to ignore Lewandowski after contact between the two, and the exchange immediately went viral. At the time, many dismissed it as World Cup tension—two leaders under immense pressure, fighting for national pride. But according to those close to Lewandowski’s story, the distance between the two icons had been growing long before that night in Qatar.
Midway through this story, the real origins of the strained relationship come into focus. The roots stretch back not to a match, but to a gala—specifically, the 2021 France Football Ballon d’Or ceremony. Lewandowski had every reason to believe that year belonged to him. In 2020, he had been widely recognized as the best player in the world, but the Ballon d’Or was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, he again delivered historic numbers, only to finish second—this time narrowly—behind Messi.
Sebastian Staszewski, the author of Lewandowski’s unauthorized biography, explained the emotional weight of that moment in an interview with beIN Sports. “Although he had already found out the result of the poll a few days earlier, he had long believed that he would win,” Staszewski said. “A difference of 33 votes. When Didier Drogba read out the results, Robert felt as if an ice cube had slid down his neck.”
That defeat carried lasting consequences. “He knew that this was his second-best chance to win the Ballon d’Or. As we know today, he will probably never win it,” Staszewski added, calling it “a very sad episode in his career.”
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Lionel Messi vs. Robert Lewandowski: How their relationship changed over time amid 2020 Ballon d’Or controversy, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and Barcelona legacy
Two eras colliding, two egos sharing the spotlight
The tension was not born from a single incident, but from a collision of eras. For years, world soccer revolved around Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Lewandowski’s peak briefly disrupted that narrative, placing him alongside—rather than beneath—the sport’s long-standing icons.
“There was a period when Robert Lewandowski was the best player in the world,” Staszewski explained. “For a player with a huge ego, this is not a pleasant feeling.” This was not a personal feud fueled by insults or public criticism. Instead, it was a rivalry shaped by recognition, status, and unspoken comparison—two generational greats occupying overlapping territory at the very top of the game.
Why the World Cup made everything visible
The coldness visible in Qatar had already been sensed in Paris years earlier. Staszewski recalled sitting near both players during the France Football gala. “Robert Lewandowski was sitting next to Leo Messi, and there weren’t many smiles. You could sense the atmosphere between them,” he said.
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Yet even then, Staszewski was careful to draw a line between animosity and outright conflict. “I wouldn’t say it’s a conflict or a war. It’s just two big egos, two great players. It’s more about soccer than personalities.” That distinction matters. This was not a feud driven by malice, but by ambition.
Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski at 2022 World Cup
The World Cup amplified what club soccer never could. Playing for the club in Miami and the club in Barcelona had kept Messi and Lewandowski largely separated by leagues, systems, and narratives. In Qatar, stripped of club colors and surrounded by national expectation, the rivalry became unavoidable. “During the match between Poland and Argentina, everyone paid special attention to them,” Staszewski noted. “There were no good feelings between them. It was a rivalry.”
Even so, he remained intrigued by the hypothetical. “I’m really curious if they would be able to play on the same team. I don’t think it’s possible, but I would like to see this duo—for myself and for all the fans around the world.” He concluded with a line that has since defined public perception of their relationship: “They are definitely not guys who can go out for a beer or dinner together.”
