Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi Comparison Rejected by Robert Lewandowski

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has rejected any notions comparing himself and superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi despite his phenomenal run of form.

According to an exclusive by Christoph Koeckeis of Goal, the Poland international said:

"

They are different players, in different positions. Cristiano plays offensively on the left side, Messi centrally. I play up front. Of course I work back, take part in combinations and don't wait 90 minutes for the ball. I want to participate in the game. 

[...]

I am 27 and I want to be better every year, score more goals. My best time comes now. Hopefully it will carry on as long as possible! 

"

The forward has been in simply breathtaking form in front of goal this year, showing remarkable predatory instincts and clinical precision. Squawka Football shared the details of his prolific run this season:

Naturally, the Pole has drawn comparisons with perennial Ballon d'Or contenders Messi and Ronaldo, per Eurosport UK, while Bleacher Report columnist Clark Whitney believes now is the time Lewandowski should be recognised as the best centre-forward in the world:

Though he may reject the inevitable comparisons, Lewandowski's numbers do stack up against the pair.

In 2015, Messi and Ronaldo have notched 45 and 43 goals respectively for club and country, while Lewandowski currently sits just behind on 41 in three fewer appearances than the latter and 11 fewer than the former.

Jon Super/Associated Press

At 27, Lewandowski is younger than either of them, though, of course, even his impressive total of 238 career goals pales in comparison with Ronaldo's 502 and Messi's 467.

As good as he's been this year and throughout his career, the striker is perhaps better compared with the likes of Neymar, Sergio Aguero and Luis Suarez, who comprise the small cabal of forwards immediately behind the two superstars in the "best-in-the-world" stakes.

Nevertheless, the fact he can be mentioned in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo without it seeming completely ridiculous is a testament to just how good he's been.

Though he failed to find the net against Werder Bremen on Saturday, his form shows little sign of abating, and with plenty of years left at the top, his goalscoring run looks set to continue for the remainder of 2015 and beyond.