While Robert Lewandowski has been a constant presence for both club and country for some time now, the 32-year-old Pole seems to have gone from strength to strength in recent years. Now he has been named as a deserving finalist for the title of The Best FIFA Men's Player 2020.

23 August 2020 UEFA Champions League final Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich (0-0)

Although Lewandowski did not score for once in this final, he had a good game, hit the inside of the post and posed a constant threat. Above all, however, winning this title was the crowning achievement in a year of exceptional performances. "That was the night when I knew that I'd got the thing I'd been dreaming my whole life about," said the Pole, who lost to Bayern in the final of Europe’s biggest club competition in 2013 while playing for Borussia Dortmund. "It doesn’t matter how many times you have failed to win it. The only thing that matters is winning it."

25 February 2020 / 8 August 2020 UEFA Champions League, Round of 16, played over two legs Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich (0-0) Bayern Munich 4-1 Chelsea (2-1)

Bayern scored seven goals in their Round of 16 tie against the Blues – and the Pole was involved in all of them. During the first leg in February, he provided two assists for Serge Gnabry before scoring a third goal that all but decided the tie. The return leg was finally played almost six months later due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but even this did not put Lewandowski off his stride. He found the back of the net after just ten minutes in Munich and set up goals for Ivan Perisic and Corentin Tolisso before rounding off the scoring himself in a 4-1 win.

4 October 2020 Bundesliga, third matchday Bayern Munich 4-3 Hertha BSC (1-0)

In some ways this match was reminiscent of Lewandowski’s historic five-goal haul against Wolfsburg in 2015. No matter what the Berlin side did, the Poland international responded. He gave the champions a 2-0 lead before the visitors pegged them back to 2-2. His third strike in the 85th minute seemed certain to be the winner for Bayern, only for Hertha to net an equaliser three minutes later and celebrate an apparent point away from home. Yet Lewandowski was determined to have the final say, finding the target for the fourth time in the third minute of stoppage time to secure victory for the Bavarian giants.

"When you’ve scored a lot of goals and won everything, there is probably nobody I can compare myself to. It would be a unique feeling and an award for the whole team. We were the best, there is no doubt about that."

"Whenever you’re in the semi-finals or quarter-finals of the Champions League or are in the Champions League final and have won afterwards, they’re always the most special and most important goals. The goals from the quarter-finals, semi-finals or final stay forever, for me personally and for the whole of Bayern Munich."

"Maybe you have to wait 100 years for someone like him [Messi] to be born again. With what he has already done, he is and will always be one of history's all-time greats."

"Robert Lewandowski is a wonderful striker and one of the last real No9s along with Luis Suarez or Falcao, but there aren’t many examples of that type of player left." Diego Forlan

"For me it can only be Robert Lewandowski. It’s clearer than it’s been in recent years. He won every title, scored lots of decisive goals and was top of the scoring charts. He’s got everything you need to give a player this award. Nobody comes close to him, neither in Germany nor in Europe. He’s now got qualities that set him apart even more than before." Lothar Matthaus

"Lewy is unique. He can score with any part of his body. There are no weaknesses in his finishing. […] I’m really happy to have him in my team and not have to face him every week." Manuel Neuer

All winners, including those of the FIFA Fan Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award, will be crowned on 17 December 2020 in a TV show broadcast live, starting at 19:00 CET.

To keep up with the latest news about The Best FIFA Football Awards™, visit FIFA.com, The Best FIFA Football Awards™ official Facebook page, FIFA on Twitter and FIFA on YouTube.

Join the discussion about who should win this year’s awards by using the hashtag #TheBest.