Messi And Putellas Won FIFA Awards Best Players 2023

(CTN NEWS) – FIFA Awards – On Monday, Lionel Messi edged Kylian Mbappé to win FIFA’s best men’s player award.

Spain’s Alexia Putellas won for the second straight year in the women’s division.

Messi won the FIFA player of the year award for the seventh time in 14 years, beating Mbappé and Karim Benzema in the final against France’s Kylian Mbappé last year in Qatar.

On his fifth attempt, he equaled the World Cup record.

“I had a crazy year,” Messi said. “After fighting for so long, I could fulfill my (World Cup) dream.”

“Ultimately, it happened and was my most beautiful career experience. Every player dreams of achieving this, but very few do, so I’m thankful to God that I could accomplish it.”

Three players were selected by a global panel of national team captains, coaches, journalists, and fans.

Messi, 35, won the Golden Ball trophy, awarded by FIFA for the World Cup’s best player, beating Mbappé, who was seeking his first FIFA award. The Golden Boot was awarded to Mbappé as the top scorer.

The FIFA Awards vote gave Messi 52 points, Mbappé 44 points, and Benzema 34 points.

The 24-year-old Mbappé considered Messi’s heir apparent on the world stage, made the three-man shortlist for the first time. The year he led France to the World Cup title, he was voted fourth in the voting.

Benzema won the Ballon d’Or in October ahead of the World Cup. France’s forward missed the tournament due to an injury. Messi was not included in August’s long list of Ballon d’Or candidates.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been left off the 14-player shortlist for the FIFA award for the first time this year, as Robert Lewandowski has won it in the last two years.

In making the men’s world best XI for the 16th time, Messi broke a record he shared with Ronaldo.

There were Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Portugal’s Joao Cancelo, Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, Belgium’s Kevin de Bruyne, Croatia’s Luka Modric, Brazil’s Casemiro, Norway’s Erling Haaland, and France’s Mbappé and Benzema in the team.

Earlier Monday, French prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into a rape allegation against Paris Saint-Germain defender Hakimi.

Former Barcelona teammate Neymar was Messi’s choice of the best player. Brazil’s captain Thiago Silva also voted for Neymar.

The coach and captain of Russia were not barred from voting.

The award was presented by Alex Morgan of the United States and Beth Mead, who led England to victory at the 2022 European Championship.

Despite being injured days before the Euro and missing the tournament, Barcelona’s Putellas again made the top three. Last season, she scored 34 goals in all competitions.

At the Euro, Mead scored the most goals and was named the best player. In November, she suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Arsenal, and she may miss the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

In 2018, Morgan was named player of the tournament when the U.S. won the CONCACAF W Championship, finishing second to Megan Rapinoe. In addition, she was one of the top scorers.

After Argentina won the World Cup in December, Lionel Scaloni was named FIFA men’s coach of the year.

At the Women’s European Championship, Sarina Wiegman led England to the title as coach.

Scaloni took over Argentina on an interim basis at the end of 2018 and was widely criticized for his lack of experience.

It was announced earlier Monday that his contract as the national team coach had been extended until the end of the 2026 World Cup.

Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City were on the shortlist.

The women’s goalkeeper award went to Mary Earps of England, and the best men’s award went to Emiliano Martnez of Argentina.

During the event in Paris, tributes were paid to Pelé, who died late last year after a battle with colon cancer. Former Brazil striker Ronaldo presented a trophy honoring Pelé’s wife, Marcia Aoki.

“I have three words to say to God, who gave us Edson, to Edson, who gave us Pelé, and to the world, which accepted them so well: grateful, grateful, grateful,” she concluded.

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