Fansided

One reason every team at the World Cup can win

By Ty Finch

MOSCOW, RUSSIA DECEMBER 1, 2017: Winner's trophy at the Final Draw for 2018 FIFA World Cup at the State Kremlin Palace. Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS (Photo by Stanislav Krasilnikov\TASS via Getty Images)
MOSCOW, RUSSIA DECEMBER 1, 2017: Winner's trophy at the Final Draw for 2018 FIFA World Cup at the State Kremlin Palace. Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS (Photo by Stanislav Krasilnikov\TASS via Getty Images) /
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CHORZOW, POLAND – MARCH 27: Robert Lewandowski of Poland celebrates scoring a goal during international friendly match between Poland and Korea Republic at Slaski Stadium on March 27, 2018 in Chorzow, Poland. (Photo by Marcin Karczewski/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)
CHORZOW, POLAND – MARCH 27: Robert Lewandowski of Poland celebrates scoring a goal during international friendly match between Poland and Korea Republic at Slaski Stadium on March 27, 2018 in Chorzow, Poland. (Photo by Marcin Karczewski/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images) /

Group H

Poland: Robert Lewandowski

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, Neymar, Harry Kane, Luis Suarez, Paul Pogba. These are the names that first come to mind when talking about the best players in the world. For some reason, the name that’s too often omitted from the conversation is Robert Lewandowski.

There’s no real reason for this selective oversight, besides the fact that he plays in the third most popular league in the world, and he’s remarkably consistent, if not at the statistical pace of the other huge stars. Poland will be heavily reliant on Lewandowski during the 2018 World Cup, and that’s definitely not a bad thing.

Lewandowski has scored at least 20 goals in all competitions for his club in each of the last seven seasons, and is capable of the unthinkable when he’s on top of his game, like when he scored five goals in nine minutes in 2015 for Bayern Munich.

That kind of magic even made Pep Guardiola, the best manager in the world, gaze in absolute amazement, not believing his eyes.

Lewandowski is the seventh most capped player in Poland’s history and has 52 goals, the most by any Polish player. He’s the reason that Poland are playing in Russia, and he’s the reason they could theoretically make a run to the World Cup finals this year.

Poland have other talented players, of course. Fellow striker Arkadiusz Milik is a top-class player for his club side Napoli, and Lukasz Piszczek is the most-capped player on the current roster. They have two keepers who could start for many other national teams in Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny, but they’re an afterthought with Lewandowski around.

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