<div id="attachment_345473" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-345473" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-345473" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210918_WST_345357_Clock-End-600x400.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=400" alt="kickoff times" width="600" height="400" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-345473" class="wp-caption-text">The famous clock from Highbury, now at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, dominates the stadium’s roof.</p></div>
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<p>As Americans, it is a habit for us to wake up, check the kickoff times, and begin watching soccer. For many of us, weekends serve a primary purpose of watching the beautiful game.</p>
<p>Depending on one’s passion and commitment to watching soccer, entire days are occupied by the sport. However, there are undeniably fans of the game who stop watching as the day goes on.</p>
<p>There are a number of reasons for this. For one, they may have a certain league or team that they follow without much interest in the others. Then, they may only have access to a certain set of streaming services. With the current makeup of how to watch soccer in the U.S., multiple paid-subscriptions are necessary. Finally, certain kickoff times may turn viewers away.</p>
<p>In the United States, soccer is not the most followed sport. Coincidentally, much of the soccer season shares viewership dates with American football. On Saturdays, college football has kickoff times starting at noon and lasting for the entire day. Each Sunday, at least seven NFL games start at 1 p.m. ET before five others follow in the afternoon and evening.</p>
<p>For a number of reasons, some leagues flourish in the U.S. TV market, others falter compared to their European coverage.</p>
<p>Differing kickoff times contribute to this discrepancy when looking from league to league.</p>
<h3>Kickoff Times from throughout the world’s game</h3>
<p>For this analysis, we will use the U.S. Eastern Time equivalent for the European soccer start times.</p>
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-345466 alignright" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210918_WST_345357_Premier-League-Kickoff.webp&amp;width=259&amp;height=194" alt="" width="259" height="194" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Premier-League-Kickoff.jpg 259w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Premier-League-Kickoff-150x112.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px"></figure></div>
<p>The Premier League schedules their games in a <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/09/10/epl-commentator-assignments-on-nbc-sports-gameweek-3-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very routine fashion</a>. To start, Saturday features one game at 7:30 a.m., a handful of games at 10 a.m., then one notable game at 12:30 p.m. Then, on Sunday, a couple of games start at 9 a.m. before one game at 11:30 a.m. to close out coverage. Additionally, there are often games on Monday afternoons at 3 p.m.</p>
<p>In Germany, the start times are largely similar. Perhaps, the only true differences come from a Friday afternoon game and a Sunday game starting at 1:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Comparatively, LaLiga has significantly later start times for American viewers. For Spain’s top division, kickoff times on the weekends ensure games do not overlap. For example, matchday five in LaLiga has four games each on Saturday and Sunday. Those games start at 8 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.</p>
<p>Serie A follows a hybrid of the Premier League and LaLiga. Most of the games happen on Sunday, mainly in the 9 a.m. window. On Saturday, the three games do not overlap with each other. Moreover, the kickoff times are, relatively speaking, later in the day compared to the Premier League.</p>
<p>Then we look at Major League Soccer. The season tends to run from April to early November. In this time, the MLS schedules games throughout the week and weekend typically at night. MLS contains significantly more teams than European leagues. In fact, there are plans to have <a href="https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-announces-plans-expand-30-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30 teams by 2023</a>. Therefore, it makes sense that games from throughout the U.S. and Canada overlap each night there are games.</p>
<h3>Loss of viewership due to inopportune timing</h3>
<p>Let me preface this by saying there are a multitude of reasons why the Premier League is so popular compared to other soccer leagues. The use of the English-language is a factor, as is the similarity between the cultures of the United Kingdom and United States. Those both make sense in terms of growing that league in the U.S.</p>
<p>However, when taking into account kickoff times, the Premier League simply fits in with people’s schedules. Americans love their American football, whether it’s NFL and/or college football. The glorious stadiums and community involvement makes it the major sport in the country. Over the weekends, it dominates people’s television screens.</p>
<div class="ckeditor-em"><iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1056352459&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true"></iframe></div>
<div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk" title="World Soccer Talk Podcast" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener">World Soccer Talk Podcast</a> · <a href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk/wild-wild-west-of-soccer-streaming" title="Soccer Streaming Wars of 2021" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener">Soccer Streaming Wars of 2021</a></div>
<p>Still, there are gaps in the morning where there is no American football. By the fortunate good luck of the The Factory Act of 1850 that forbid factories from keeping workers any later than 2PM on Saturdays, it was a contributing factor later that century in the scheduling of English football matches to start at 3PM. More than 100 years later, that 3PM kickoff time (10AM ET) has paid huge dividends to help the growth of the Premier League in the United States when there is no American football.</p>
<p>The Premier League works like clockwork in the United States. Every Saturday, there’s typically a 7:30 a.m. ET kickoff followed by a number of 10 a.m. kickoff times that finish around noon. Then, college football starts, and the often the Premier League’s notable game competes with the early window of college football.</p>
<p>On Sunday later kickoffs make sense. A 9 a.m. start time precedes the 11:30 kickoff. By the time the second game concludes, the NFL window just opened, and people switch over to that sport.</p>
<p>Contrarily, the Serie A and LaLiga games that start on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. conflict with American football on weekends. (Real Madrid and Barcelona, especially, often start their games at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. on weekend afternoons).</p>
<p>Then, we see Major League Soccer. MLS schedules its season in late spring through fall. The summer is typically a dead time for American sports, with baseball being the only consistent sport. However, when the MLS season is just starting or coming to a close, it must compete with basketball and hockey or football respectively.</p>
<h3>Relative American popularity between leagues</h3>
<p>Based on the rise of streaming services over the past couple of years, viewership numbers are harder than ever to calculate.</p>
<p>Therefore, simple popularity is the best gauge on the effect of kickoff times.</p>
<p>For example, the Premier League recently put the second debut of Cristiano Ronaldo at the 10 a.m. kickoff time. According to ShowBuzz Daily, USA Network and Universo pulled a combined 649,000 viewers. This is&nbsp;<em>significantly&nbsp;</em>higher than the 2020/21 league average of <a href="https:\/\/www.statista.com/statistics/240891/geograhical-distribution-of-global-premier-league-tv-audience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">414,000 viewers</a> per game. Moreover, this game was not on one of NBC’s principal channels, even though USA Network is still on cable.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/watch-premier-league-on-us-tv-internet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>READ MORE</strong></em></a><em>: Where to watch the Premier League on U.S. TV.</em></p>
<p>Comparatively, one of the most-watched games for the Bundesliga (then covered by FOX Sports), was the <a href="https:\/\/www.footballcritic.com/bundesliga/season-2019-2020/matches/3/21557" target="_blank" rel="noopener">return to play</a> following the COVID-19 stoppage. Bayern Munich played Union Berlin, and roughly<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2020/05/17/bundesliga-tv-ratings-on-fox-give-espn-a-clear-picture-of-starting-point-to-build-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 583,000 people watched</a>. Germany’s most popular team did not pull as many viewers as arguably England’s most popular team. Additionally, that game came on Sunday, May 17, at noon. At that time, in that month, there are no other sports on TV at that time. That fact is only helped by the shutdown of sports across America during the first half of 2020.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/where-to-watch-the-bundesliga-on-us-tv-and-internet/"><strong>READ</strong> <strong>MORE</strong>:</a> Where to watch the Bundesliga on U.S. TV.</em></p>
<p>The same stands true for the likes of LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue Un. All these leagues have kickoff times that go against the grain of American sports. Therefore, the ensuing timing conflicts make people choose one or the other, and they often go with the more dominant sport.</p>
<h3>Other impacts</h3>
<p>Take all of that with a grain of salt. There are plenty of reasons one league may pull in more viewers than another. Also, some games will shoot up the average viewing audience, while other, less special games bring it down.</p>
<div id="attachment_345468" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-345468" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-345468 size-large" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210918_WST_345357_El-Clasico-600x405.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=405" alt="" width="600" height="405" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-600x405.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-768x518.jpg 768w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-345468" class="wp-caption-text">El Clásico is consistently one of the world’s most-watched games each season.</p></div>
<p>For example, <em>El Clásico</em>, when it involved Messi and Ronaldo head-to-head, drew millions of viewers in the States. In fact, even without the Portuguese in 2020 AND before the pandemic, <em>El Clásico</em> pulled almost <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2020/03/03/bein-sports-delivers-over-940000-viewers-for-el-clasico-on-us-tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one million U.S. viewers</a>. Top-tier games pull top-tier audiences.</p>
<p>On average, there <em>is</em> a correlation between kickoff times and viewership numbers. The more overlap there is between soccer games and traditional American sports, the less likely it will be to pull large audiences.</p>
<p>Understandably, this is not always the case. As stated previously, stardom, intrigue of matchups, importance in terms of the season and other factors all dictate viewership numbers.</p>
<p>Kickoff times represent just another one of those facets into how many Americans watch soccer games each day of the week, depending on the league.</p>


Among the factors that influence viewership, kickoff times of games impact those statistics. Some leagues thrive in their timing, namely the Premier League.

How kickoff times influence soccer viewership in the U.S.

The busiest and wildest transfer window ever left the European landscape different than just a few months ago. Let's rate how major teams did this summer.

Grading Europe's biggest clubs on their transfer window signings - World Soccer Talk

Grading Europe's biggest clubs on their transfer window signings

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<p>Cristiano Ronaldo is not your everyday 36-year-old goal-scoring legend. Usually, players of this age look to close out their careers in MLS, the Middle East or Asia. The Portuguese is looking to build on his elite reputation elsewhere in Europe.</p>
<p>Earlier in the summer 2021 transfer window, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner saw his on-field rival Lionel Messi move. The Argentine joined Paris Saint-Germain, forming a super team with Neymar and (presently) Kylian Mbappe.</p>
<p>Whereas Messi moved on due to financial circumstances, Ronaldo is eyeing new locations based on his club’s performance and activity.</p>
<p>Last season, Inter Milan broke the Old Lady’s streak of nine-consecutive Serie A titles.&nbsp;CR7 received the <em>Capocannoniere</em>, the award for the top scorer in Serie A, with 29 goals. Juventus finished fourth in the league. Still, the club managed to win the Coppa Italia.</p>
<p>Despite underperforming a season ago, Juventus remains quiet in the transfer window. The club only signed midfielder Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo on a two-year loan. After the term, Juventus has an obligation to buy Locatelli for $30 million, $15 million can also be sent to <em>I Neroverdi</em> if Locatelli hits certain incentives.</p>
<p>This type of deal displays that the Turin-based club are cash strapped. Nonetheless, Juventus watched the transfer world from the sideline. Portugal’s captain notices this, and he wants to compete for the biggest trophies in the sport.</p>
<h3>Cristiano Ronaldo seeking an exit</h3>
<p>With one year remaining on his contract, the two-time Best FIFA Men’s Player winner is looking for options, according to the rumor mill.</p>
<p>Last week, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who won four trophies with Cristiano in 2014, stated that he would not pursue a transfer for the club legend.</p>
<p>A week ago, Carlo Ancelotti, who managed Cristiano at Real Madrid, said Los Blancos would not pursue their former star. Essentially, Ancelotti implied Real Madrid sought talents for the future. The comment, along with the constant speculation on his future, made the forward go to Instagram to release a statement.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“More than the disrespect for me as a man and as a player, the frivolous way that my future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumors, as well as to their players and staff,”</em> said the four-time Portuguese Player of the Year.</p></blockquote>
<p>Cristiano opened the Serie A season on Juventus’s bench against Udinese. The <a href="https:\/\/www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/top-scorer/#/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint-top scorer</a> of Euro 2020 came on in the 60<sup>th</sup> minute. He scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time, only for VAR to deem the play offside. News matriculated that the Cristiano did not start because he was seeking a new club. According to these reports, he hoped to find a resolution soon.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/08/22/ronaldo-staying-despite-starting-season-opener-on-bench-say-juve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>READ MORE:</strong></em></a> <em>Pavel Nedved convinced Ronaldo will stay at Juventus this season.</em></p>
<p>Juventus denounced the report as fabrication.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“We mustn’t try to create sensational stories where there aren’t any,”</em> Juventus Vice President Pavel Nedved told DAZN.</p>
<p><em>“It was a decision shared with the player. At the start of the season, naturally he is not at top fitness. I can absolutely confirm Ronaldo will remain at Juventus this season.”</em></p></blockquote>
<h3>A possible return to Manchester, but in blue</h3>
<p>Over the last couple days, L’Equipe reported that Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is working to facilitate a deal. The deal reportedly in the works would ship Cristiano Ronaldo back to England.</p>
<p>Additionally, reports claim CR7 reached out to his Portugal teammates currently at the Etihad. Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva all play under Pep Guardiola. Apparently, Ronaldo told them he would love to play for the defending Premier League champions.</p>
<p>The leader in transfer news, Fabrizio Romano, stated on Twitter that Juventus set a price tag at about $30 million. However, the Citizens are not willing to pay a transfer fee.</p>
<p>It would be slightly strange to see Ronaldo don blue for the first time in his career. After all, he rose to stardom at Manchester City’s crosstown neighbor. With Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo lifted his first Champions League trophy and Ballon d’Or, in the same season no less.</p>
<div id="attachment_343154" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-343154" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-343154" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210826_WST_343146_Cristiano-Ronaldo-300x200.webp&amp;width=300&amp;height=200" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Cristiano-Ronaldo-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Cristiano-Ronaldo-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Cristiano-Ronaldo-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Cristiano-Ronaldo-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Cristiano-Ronaldo-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Cristiano-Ronaldo-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-343154" class="wp-caption-text">Cristiano Ronaldo spent six seasons at Old Trafford before his record transfer to Real Madrid.</p></div>
<h3>Manchester City’s needs</h3>
<p>Manchester City won three of the last four Premier League titles. Still, Pep Guardiola’s side has one glaring weakness.</p>
<p>Sergio Aguero’s departure for FC Barcelona left a void at the striker position. The five-time Premier League champions first targeted Harry Kane. But, in recent days, Harry Kane announced that he is “fully committed” to Tottenham.</p>
<p>Manchester City must be aggressive and sign a striker. Yes, the Sky Blues are coming off a Premier League crown, but the club has higher ambitions. Harry Kane is seemingly no longer on the market. Cristiano Ronaldo may not have the longevity Kane provides, but he does <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/08/21/guardiola-wants-grealish-to-develop-goalscorers-instinct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provide the offensive output</a>.</p>
<p>Even at his advanced age, the two-time Serie A Footballer of the Year is still a dominant figure on the pitch that guarantees goals. And, what makes things more appetizing, is that Ronaldo has a proven track record in the English game.</p>
<p>Championship windows do not last forever. The time to strike is now, and Cristiano Ronaldo would elevate any club.</p>


Recent developments show two things. First off, Cristiano Ronaldo may want out of Italy. Secondly, Manchester City need a goal threat. Is it a perfect fit?

Cristiano Ronaldo eyeing departure with Man City a suitor - World Soccer Talk

Cristiano Ronaldo eyeing departure with Man City a suitor

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<p>Robert Lewandowski sat on the outside looking in for a decade. Ten years of a duopoly when it came to individual brilliance.</p>
<p>Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won nine of the 10 Ballon d’Ors. Since 2008, they have 11 of 12. Messi has a record-six, Cristiano has five and Luka Modric won in 2018. A new contender entered their name into the conversation in 2020.</p>
<p>In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the tradition of presenting the Ballon d’Or due to shortened seasons across Europe. France Football scrapped the coronation as their own domestic league did not finish out their season. Hypothetically, the award should have gone to Robert Lewandowski.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“Someone had to decide that this year there would be no Ballon d’Or,”</em> Lewandowski told Daily Mail in December 2020.</p>
<p><em>“Maybe they decided too early because every [other] trophy has been decided. So many players, coaches, journalists know that, for me, it was the best season.”</em></p></blockquote>
<h3>Robert Lewandowski and a flawless 2019/20</h3>
<p>The captain of Poland’s National Team led Bayern Munich to their second treble in club history. Additionally, Lewandowski accomplished a treble of individual feats. The Pole led three competitions in goals. <a href="https:\/\/www.espn.com/soccer/stats/_/league/GER.1/season/2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thirty-four goals</a> led all Bundesliga scorers and six in the DFB-Pokal Cup. Also, he scored the second-most goals in European Cup history with 15 as Bayern won the Champions League.</p>
<p>More remarkable, perhaps, is the amount of games Robert Lewandowski did this in. A 50-goal season is a rare feat to begin with. Then, add the fact that each competition experienced a shortened season, and Lewandowski shows his true brilliance. Fifty-five goals in just 46 games. That is roughly 1.2 goals per game.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“We did what we did, and it was spectacular,”</em> Lewandowski said, <em>“</em><em>I’m </em><em>glad everyone has seen it. </em></p>
<p><em>“These awards are something nice, amazing. But I also know that every personal trophy is for the team.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Lewy, as he’s affectionally called by friends and fans, followed up the best year of his career with a campaign that was even stronger. With 41 goals, the forward broke the Bundesliga’s record for most goals in a season. His 41 goals in 2020/21 surpassed Gerd Muller’s mark of 40 that stood for 49 years. The 2020 FIFA Best Men’s Player scored in the final minutes in the last game of the season against Augsburg in dramatic fashion.</p>
<p>Another feat that makes the accomplishment more impressive is that Muller played in 34 matches to score 40. Comparatively, the nine-time Polish Player of the Year bagged a record 41 in just 29 matches. For the first time, Robert Lewandowski won the Golden Shoe, presented to the leading scorer across Europe’s top five leagues. The award Muller won two times and led the Bundesliga in goals seven times, a record.</p>
<h3>Unclear future at Bayern Munich</h3>
<div id="attachment_342590" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-342590" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-342590 size-medium" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210819_WST_342587_Robert-Lewandowski-300x453.webp&amp;width=300&amp;height=453" alt="Robert Lewandowski" width="300" height="453" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Robert-Lewandowski-300x453.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Robert-Lewandowski-150x227.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Robert-Lewandowski.jpg 596w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-342590" class="wp-caption-text">Lewandowski warms up during a Champions League game in 2015.</p></div>
<p>On August 15, Muller, an icon of world soccer, <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/08/15/legendary-german-striker-gerd-mueller-dead-at-75/">passed away at the age of 75</a>. Muller is undoubtedly one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Two days later, Bayern played their fiercest domestic rival in the German Super Cup. Der Bomber’s former club defeated Borussia Dortmund in another edition of Der Klassiker, 3-1. Robert Lewandowski scored a brilliant header for his first goal in the 41st minute and added another goal in the 74th minute. Everything seemed to be going well in Bavaria, but reports stated otherwise.</p>
<p>Sky Sports has stated that the second all-time leading scorer in Bundesliga history is seeking a new challenge. The 2019-20 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year has played in Germany for 11 years. He turns 33 on the weekend, meaning he is no prospect anymore. Despite his elite play, he awaits a contract extension offer from Bayern Munich. Due to Lewandowski’s age, now would be the best time to make a move to another league. His contract expires in 2023. By then, the prolific goal scorer will be 35. We just saw the leading candidate for the 2021 Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi, move to Paris Saint-Germain. Messi is 34 and <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/08/18/barcelonas-1-5-billion-debt-how-a-mega-club-fell-into-a-financial-black-hole-and-lost-its-star/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unusual circumstances</a> caused his departure from Barcelona.</p>
<p>If this season is the third all-time leading scorer in Champions League history’s last dance at Bayern, then Robert Lewandowski will make the most of it.</p>
<p><em>Lewangoalski</em>, as Thomas Muller called him, continues to deliver, and remains the best striker in the world.</p>
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Robert Lewandowski is the best striker in Europe when it comes to pure goal scoring. It is time he starts to earn recognition for his efforts on the field.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "cristiano ronaldo" - Page 13

Leagues: EPL

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Bayern Munich

Robert Lewandowski, the best player without a Ballon d'Or