Lionel Messi Wins FIFA's Best Men's Player Award
In recognition of Argentina's World Cup victory, Lionel Messi was given the best FIFA player award for 2022 on Monday. Alexia Putellas of Spain was given the female honour during a ceremony in Paris. Kylian Mbappe, a colleague of Messi's at Paris Saint-Germain and a competitor of his in the World Cup final, finished second behind Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema in the race for the men's award. 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 honour recognises a year in which the former Barcelona great concluded his illustrious career by serving as the captain of his country's national team.The World Cup triumph for Argentina. 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 attacker 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. She had previously contributed 11 goals to Barcelona's successful journey to the Champions League final, which they ultimately lost against Lyon.
