Agence France-Presse is an international news agency headquartered in Paris, France
Summary
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Argentina's World Cup win in Qatar was also
recognised as Lionel Scaloni claimed the men's coach's honour and Emiliano
Martinez was named the best male goalkeeper.
Lionel Messi won The Best FIFA men's player prize for 2022 on Monday on the back of his
World Cup triumph with Argentina and Spain's Alexia Putellas retained the women's award at a ceremony in Paris.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 having been the other
contender to claim the prize.
Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain
forward Lionel Messi (L) receives from FIFA President Gianni Infantino the Best
FIFA Men’s Player award during the Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 ceremony in
Paris on February 27, 2023. PHOTO/AFP
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.
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.
(From L) Netherlands and Liverpool
defender Virgil van Dijk, Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel
Messi, France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, Morocco and Paris
Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, Brazil and Manchester United midfielder
Casemiro and Portugal and bayern Munich defender Joao Cancelo pose on stage as
they receive awards for the FIFA FIFPRO men's World11 during the Best FIFA
Football Awards 2022 ceremony in Paris on February 27, 2023. PHOTO/AFP
He
also claimed the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, although
Mbappe was the top scorer with eight goals, one more than Messi.
"This
year was just mad for me, to be able to achieve my dream that I had fought so
hard for. In the end I got it and it was the most beautiful thing that has
happened in my career," Messi said of his World Cup win as he collected
his award.
"It
is a dream for every footballer but something that very few can make come
true," added Messi, who was sat in the Paris theatre in between Mbappe and
his wife Antonella Roccuzzo.
He
took the prize just 24 hours after combining with Mbappe to lead PSG to a 3-0
win against Marseille in Ligue 1.
Putellas pips Mead and Morgan
The 35-year-old, a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, succeeds Polish star 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
ruled her out of 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.
Putellas
has previously said she hopes to return from injury in time to play again this
season, but it remains to be seen whether she will feature for Spain at the
World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
Spain and Barcelona forward Alexia
Putellas receives from FIFA President Gianni Infantino the Best FIFA Women’s
Player award during the Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 ceremony in Paris on
February 27, 2023. PHOTO/AFP
Argentina's
World Cup win in Qatar was also recognised as Lionel Scaloni claimed the men's
coach's honour and Emiliano Martinez was named the best male goalkeeper.
Meanwhile,
England's European Championship victory helped their Dutch manager Sarina
Wiegman win the prize for best women's coach, while Mary Earps was named the
women's goalkeeper of the year.
Polish
amputee player Marcin Oleksy took the Puskas Award for best goal, named after
Hungary great Ferenc Puskas.
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