Messi and Alexia Win Top Awards: Lionel Messi was named The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2022 on Monday at a ceremony in Paris following Argentina’s World Cup victory. Similarly, Alexia Putellas of Spain was named The Best FIFA Women’s Player for 2022.
Messi won the men’s award ahead of Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe, his Paris Saint-Germain colleague and competitor in the World Cup final.
It marks Messi’s second time winning the award, which FIFA instituted in 2016 following their separation with Ballon d’Or organisers France Football.
The award honours the year in which the former Barcelona player capped off his illustrious career by guiding Argentina to victory in the World Cup. It is chosen by national team coaches and captains, media, and fans.
Despite Mbappe scoring a hat-trick for Les Bleus in a surprising 3-3 draw, Argentina defeated France on penalties in a thrilling final in Doha thanks to two goals from Messi.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, 35, replaces Robert Lewandowski on the FIFA honours list, and Putellas, who missed the second half of last year with an injury, nonetheless won the women’s award.
To add the FIFA trophy to the Ballon d’Or, which she has previously won two years in a row, the 29-year-old defeated American star Alex Morgan and English striker Beth Mead, who won the European Championship.
Putellas missed the Euro in England with Spain due to a major knee injury she sustained in July of last year.
On Barcelona’s previous run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon, she had netted 11 goals.