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Paris: Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi was crowned the best player in men’s football by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) at The Best FIFA Football Awards on Tuesday. Messi beat his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, and World Cup final rival, Kylian Mbappe to the men’s gong with Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema the other contender to claim the prize. It is the second time that Messi has won the honour inaugurated by FIFA in 2016 after football’s world governing body split from Ballon d’Or organisers France Football.
Messi's speechpic.twitter.com/p8zEe9aAxM
— Λ (@TotalLM10i) February 27, 2023
Messi was named the winner of the Best FIFA Men’s Player award for his outstanding performances in men’s football from the period of 8 August 2021 to 18 December 2022.The award, which is voted for by national team coaches and captains, journalists and also fans, recognises a year in which the former Barcelona star crowned his glorious career by leading Argentina to victory at the World Cup.
Messi scored twice in an epic final in Doha as Argentina beat France on penalties despite Mbappe netting a hat-trick for Les Bleus in a remarkable 3-3 draw. Messi recorded his first appearance at the FIFA gala back in 2007. The former Barcelona captain had finished second behind Kaka in the FIFA World Player of the Year standings at the time.
Fifteen years later, Messi was named the FIFA player of the year for the seventh time on Tuesday in Paris. One of the most decorated players in the history of the beautiful game, Messi has now won the FIFA World Player of the Year title in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2023. The 35-year-old, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, succeeds Robert Lewandowski on the FIFA honours list, while Putellas retained the women’s prize despite spending the second half of last year out injured.
The 29-year-old beat England’s European Championship-winning striker Beth Mead and United States star Alex Morgan to add the FIFA crown to the Ballon d’Or, which she has also won two years running.Putellas is currently recovering from a serious knee injury suffered last July which saw her miss the Euro in England with Spain.Prior to that she had scored 11 goals on Barcelona’s run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon.
A full list of winners at FIFA awards:
Lionel Messi (PSG/Argentina) – The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2022
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain) – The Best FIFA Women’s Player 2022
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina) – The Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2022
Sarina Wiegman (England) – The Best FIFA Women’s Coach 2022
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/Argentina) – The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper 2022
Mary Earps (England/Manchester United) – The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper 2022
Marcin Oleksy (POL/Warta Poznan) – FIFA Puskas Award for the most spectacular goal in 2022
Argentinian fans – FIFA Fan Award 2022
Luka Lochoshvili – FIFA Fair Play Award 2022
