Robert Lewandowski was hurting after the 2018 World Cup – and still is. He failed to score during 270 minutes of action in Russia as Poland finished bottom of the group with three points.
But his “dream” of netting in a World Cup is yet to come true after his penalty was saved in their 0-0 draw with Mexico on Tuesday.
Is it a curse? Some might say so.
“I told him that I sympathise with him,” said Poland boss Czeslaw Michniewicz afterwards.
“I know how a captain that misses a penalty feels when the match does not end in victory. He was very emotional about it.”
Former England defender Rio Ferdinand had told BBC One “the stage was made for a player like him” to score at a World Cup before kick-off.
Lewandowski, 34, has won almost everything in his club career including the Champions League and 10 Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
He is a big player who delivers in big moments, but even he was put off by the intimidating atmosphere in Qatar as his tame spot-kick was saved by Guillermo Ochoa. The Mexico fans, who had hugely outnumbered the Polish and taunted him from the first minute with boos and jeers, made it uncomfortable as he prepared to take the spot-kick. He looked a disheartened figure as he trudged down the tunnel after quickly applauding the fans following the goalless draw with Mexico.
Credit: bbc.com
