Robert Lewandowski shook off his disappointing return to Bayern Munich by scoring twice to lead Barcelona to a 3-0 victory at home over 10-man Elche in the Spanish league on Saturday. They were Lewandowski’s seventh and eighth goals in a five-round scoring streak and took his overall tally to 11 in eight games since he transferred to Barcelona from Bayern this summer. The easy win came after Xavi Hernández’s side suffered its only loss of the season at Bayern by 2-0 in the Champions League this week. Lewandowski missed some clear chances against the team he helped lead for eight seasons before coming to Camp Nou. Barcelona moved to the top of the league standings at one point above Real Madrid before the defending champion plays a derby at Atlético Madrid on Sunday. Athletic Bilbao continued its strong start under Ernesto Valverde with a 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano to move into third at three points off Barcelona's pace. Elche was left with a hole in its backline in the 15th minute when defender Gonzalo Verdu pulled Lewandowski down when the striker was in position to latch onto a pass that would have left him all alone in the area. The referee didn’t hesitate in sending off Verdu with a direct red since he was the last defender. Verdu, who was making his season debut after recovering from injury, recognized that his sending off hurt his team’s already tough task of facing Barcelona at their stadium. “I hadn’t played in a long time due to injury, and to come here and start … I was very excited, but in the 15th everything went wrong. I stumbled with the striker, the ball was free in a space where he could reach it,” Verdu said. “I assume the responsibility for the result and for my team having to make a tremendous effort.” Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 33rd when he tapped in a cross from 18-year-old left back Alejandro Balde. Memphis Depay doubled the lead in the 41st when he received a pass from Balde, spun around his marker and fired home. Lewandowski made it a double three minutes after halftime when he finished off a dangerous cross by Ousmane Dembélé. Balde, who has assisted on three goals this season, has clearly won the starting job over veteran Jordi Alba, who appears to be third in the pecking order at left back, also behind new arrival Marcos Alonso. Balde has started five straight league games, while Alonso played well at Bayern. “I am constantly surprised by what an 18-year-old can do at this level," Xavi said. "He is in great shape and gives us a lot.” WILLIAMS BROS Iñaki Williams and younger brother Nico Williams, who was called up by Spain this week, both scored in Atheltic's entertaining win at home over a Rayo that led 2-1. Rayo’s second goal was superbly struck by substitute Radamel Falcao, who used the side of his boot to redirect a cross while fending off Bilbao’s Iñigo Martínez. Ander Herrera started his second stint at Bilbao eight years after first leaving the club for Manchester United. He returned, at age 33, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. CAVANI DEBUTS Valencia rolled to 3-0 over 10-man Celta Vigo in the subdued debut of Edinson Cavani. The veteran Uruguay striker, bought off the transfer market, trained for the past three weeks to get into playing shape. The 35-year-old Cavani wants to play for Uruguay in the World Cup in November. “I was excited to finally live this moment, to run on the field, to feel the atmosphere,” said Cavani, who was substituted in the 72nd. “This is the first step.” Also, Mallorca edged Almería 1-0 for its first home win.

FIFA has been granted the Best Player of the Year title since 1991. The award was co-sponsored by FIFA and the French magazine Ballon d'Or from 2010 until 2015. However, this prize has been presented only by football's highest governing body since 2016. The Argentine sensation Lionel Messi has won it six times and has been nominated for the year 2021. Messi is the favorite to win the coveted award for a record seventh time, and he will compete in the final voting against two other finalists, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah. Let's take a look at how each of the nominees fared in FIFA Men's Player of the Year title 2021.   The Finalists for the FIFA Men’s Player 2021 Award Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, and Mohamed Salah all have excelled for their respective clubs and countries in the last year. Therefore, they have been nominated for the best player of the year award. The virtual awards ceremony will take place in Zurich on January 17th. Let's see how they performed in the year 2021.   Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona/PSG) Silverware: Copa America 2021, Copa Del Ray 2021 Lionel Messi was exceptional for Argentina's national team in the Copa America 2021, helping them win the trophy for the first time in 28 years. Messi scored four goals and assisted on five others in the tournament. It was Messi's first-ever international trophy with Argentina. Apart from his contributions to the Argentina national team, Messi also helped FC Barcelona finish in the top three of La Liga in the 2020/2021 season and win the Copa Del Rey. Messi joined PSG in the 2021 summer transfer window and has already made an impact on his new team in the UEFA Champions League. So, Lionel Messi is the frontrunner to win the FIFA Men's Player 2021 Award. Read Messi among 4 PSG players who test positive for COVID-19 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich) Silverware: Bundesliga 2021, DFL-Supercup 2021 Robert Lewandowski edged Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win the FIFA Men's Player of the Year award for 2020 in the final voting. He enjoyed another fantastic season with FC Bayern Munich in Germany. Lewandowski not only helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga in 2021, but he also beat Gerd Muller's record for most goals in a single season. Lewandowski had the most goals in a single season with 41 in the 2020/2021 season. He had a decent tournament for Poland at EURO 2020, but he couldn't help his team advance to the knockout stage. No one can deny Lewandowski's contribution to Bayern Munich, and he has rightfully earned a spot among the top three contenders.  Read Bangladesh’s U-19 SAFF Women’s Championship victory to serve as a harbinger of success in football Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)  Silverware: N/A Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah has been in superb form since the start of the 2021/2022 season. He has 23 goals in 26 games so far this season. Many experts believe he is the finest forward in the world right now. Salah's outstanding play has not gone unnoticed by football experts, despite the fact that he did not win any trophies with his club or country last year. Therefore, Mohamed Salah is a deserving candidate for the Best FIFA Men’s Player 2021 Award. Verdict Lionel Messi will be slightly ahead of the other two candidates to win the FIFA Men's Player of the Year title 2021 after his amazing performance with Argentina's national team. Messi was the most valuable member of Argentina's national side during the Copa America in 2021. Meanwhile, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski has been the star player for Bayern Munich last season. On the other hand, Mohamed Salah has been the driving force behind Liverpool's forward line for the past two seasons. Therefore, selecting the final winner will be challenging, but the honor will hopefully go to the most deserving candidate.  Read Top 10 Most Memorable Football Moments of 2021

Football regulating bodies throughout the world had to take safeguards and follow health protocols to avoid the coronavirus threat. One of the most important decisions was to restrict supporters from entering the stadium. However, European football organizations and other regulating bodies in football had decided to let spectators into the stadium starting with the current season. Therefore, the second half of the year was far more satisfying for both organizers and fans. Let's look at the top ten most notable football incidents from 2021.  2021's Most Notable Football Events There were plenty of amazing football moments in the year 2021. Therefore, picking the top 10 was challenging. Here are the top ten most noteworthy moments in the year 2021.  Italy’s second EURO Championship win Italy were the underdog Prior to the EURO 2020, but they steadily improved as the competition progressed. Before facing England in the final, Italy won two closely-contested matches in the quarter-final and semi-final. They defeated Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals and then defeated Spain in a penalty shootout. After a 1-1 draw, Italy defeated England 3-2 on penalties in the final. It was Italy's second EURO title and the first since 1968. Read Champions League 2021-2022: PSG to face Real Madrid, Man Utd to face Atletico in the Round of 16 Argentina’s Copa America 2021 win Argentina's 15th Copa America championship came after a 28-year drought. In the meantime, they competed in four finals but lost all of them. The moment had finally come as Lionel Messi's Argentina team won the Copa America 2021, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final. Chelsea’s Second UEFA Champions League victory When Frank Lampard was sacked in January, Chelsea were nowhere near their best. However, things began to change when Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea manager. His ideology has been well-taken by the players. Chelsea started to dominate the opposition with their pressing approach, ultimately reaching the Champions League 2021 final. They defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the final to win their second UEFA Champions League trophy. Read Independence Cup Football: Police book first-ever semifinal berth at Sheikh Russel KC’s expense Al Hilal’s AFC Champions League Victory  Saudi Arabian team Al Hilal won the 40th edition of the AFC Champions League, Asia's best club competition. They defeated Pohang Steelers of South Korea 2-0 in the final. Al Hilal became the most successful club in AFC Champions League history with this triumph. Palmeiras’ 2021 Copa Libertadores Victory Brazilian team Palmeiras won the Copa Libertadores 2021, Latin America's most prestigious club championship. It was their third championship in the competition's history. USA’s 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup Win  The United States won the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup in August. The USA acquired its seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup championship, defeating Mexico 1-0 in the final. Read National Football: Rangamati, Bagerhat districts win matches Lionel Messi’s seventh Ballon d’Or win The most talked-about topic of the year was who will win the Ballon d'Or 2021. Lewandowski was the clear favorite in the first half of the year. However, Jorginho of Italy and Lionel Messi of Argentina were considered favorites in the second half because of their national team success. Messi went on to win the trophy, which was his seventh overall.  Jorginho’s UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award Italian midfielder Jorginho was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year for his consistent performances for both club and nation. He was the only player to win both the Champions League and the EURO in 2021. Robert Lewandowski’s European Golden Shoe Award Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski earned the European Golden Shoe Award after scoring 41 goals in the 2020-2021 Bundesliga season. Read Champions League 2021-2022: The Five Best Matches in the Group Stage Robert Lewandowski beats Gerd Muller’s Record Robert Lewandowski has been in outstanding form over the past several seasons, breaking individual records on a regular basis. Gerd Muller's most goals in a single season was one such unique record Lewandowski broke in last season. He scored 41 goals in the season, making him the highest goal scorer in a single Bundesliga season.     Aftermath So far, we have discussed the iconic football moments of 2021. A significant number of individual and team records were broken this year. Italy, Argentina, and the United States of America were the most successful nations, winning their respective continental championships in 2021. Italy set a new record for most consecutive victories, while Argentina have gone more than two years without losing. Lionel Messi's record-breaking seventh Ballon d'Or award was the most talked-about topic of the year. On the other hand, Jorginho and Lewandowski were always in the headlines for their consistent performances. Overall, 2021 was an eventful year. Read Ronaldo reaches 800 career goals as United beats Arsenal 3-2

Robert Lewandowski won the biggest individual prize of his career Thursday, showing that a forward not named Messi or Ronaldo can be voted the world’s best soccer player.