Argentina forward Lionel Messi on Monday night was named the Men’s Player of the Year at the 2022 Best Fifa Awards.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner won the prize ahead of French forwards Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe.
Messi, 35, scored 27 goals in 49 games for club and country in 2021–2022, helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Before the start of the awards to the deserving winners, about 15 minutes of the ceremony was dedicated to the memory of late Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) who died in November 2022.
Alexia Putellas of Barcelona was named Women’s Player of the Year.
Lionel Scaloni, who guided Argentina to their third World Cup victory, was voted Men’s Coach of the Year at the ceremony in Paris, France.
Scaloni won the award ahead of Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City, who had won the UEFA Champions League and just led his team to a sixth Premier League title, respectively.
READ ALSO: Messi Wins Seventh Ballon d’Or Award, Lewandowski, Jorginho Lose Out
Sarina Wiegman, the manager of England, was chosen Women’s Coach of the Year after leading the Lionesses to their first major victory at home in the European Championship last year.
Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa and Argentina was named the Best Goalkeeper for Men.
The 30-year-old assisted in his nation’s victory over France in the World Cup final and stopped four penalties along the road.
For his incredible goal against Stal Rzeszow, in which he used his crutches to send a powerful overhead volley into the goal, amputee player Marcin Oleksy of Polish team Warta Poznan won the Fifa Puskas award for the best goal in world football in the year under review.
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