You are the best of the best. Fifa awarded several prizes in a big gala on Monday evening.
Two months after winning the World Cup with Argentina, Lionel Messi was named FIFA’s best footballer of 2022. The 35-year-old superstar from Paris Saint-Germain prevailed in the final of the world association’s The Best Gala against his French club colleague Kylian Mbappé and his compatriot Karim Benzema. For Messi, it was the seventh FIFA World Player award since 2009 in the Salle Pleyel in Paris on Monday evening, not far from the Arc de Triomphe.
There was no discussion among the women. Spain’s Alexia Putellas from FC Barcelona won again despite missing the European Championship in the summer due to a cruciate ligament rupture. The German European Championship finalists were absent from the individual awards ceremony on stage, with the exception of Ann-Kathrin Berger from Chelsea FC, who had to give way to English European champion Mary Earps in the category of best goalkeeper. After all, Lena Oberdorf was appointed to the world eleven. An emotional highlight was the posthumous tribute to Pelé, who died in December.
The superstars of Real Madrid, including Benzema and German international Antonio Rüdiger, stayed away from the ceremony – according to Spanish media reports in protest against the award and the non-consideration of their young star Vinicius Junior on the 26-player shortlist for the world eleven. Officially, it was said that they wanted to prepare for the cup game against FC Barcelona on Thursday.
Was the choice correct?
On Monday evening, as is usual with honors in recent years, a directional dispute raged on social media. Was the choice correct? Was Messi’s outstanding and career-crowning World Cup tournament the right evaluation criterion? Or should the consistently good year of Real striker Benzema, who missed the World Cup injured, have been the yardstick? The camps in the networks argued irreconcilably.
The verdict of the vote taken by fans, journalists, coaches and captains of the national teams of all Fifa countries put Messi back on the throne after the World Cup victory in Qatar. As in the dramatic World Cup final with France, Mbappé was only the second winner.
The World Cup was also the mood barometer in the other important men’s price categories. The best goalkeeper was Argentina’s final hero Emiliano Martinez and not Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois. For coaching, Albiceleste boss Lionel Scaloni prevailed over Real’s Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola. This also ended the German series: Jürgen Klopp (2019 and 2020) and Thomas Tuchel (2021) had been honored for their successes with Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC in recent years. 2022 was a dreadful year for German men’s football with Qatar as the low point. After all, Rüdiger had been nominated for the world eleven.
The Fifa Gala in the live ticker to read:
10:40 p.m – The best in the world is Lionel Messi!
10:31 p.m – Will Lionel Messi now prevail in the men’s against Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid) and his Parisian teammate Kylian Mbappe (France)? It would round off the Argentines’ victorious evening.
10:30 p.m – Now it’s decided: The Spaniard Alexia Putellas is the best player in the world. She is defending her title from last year.
10:22 p.m – This is the men’s top XI: Thibaut Courtois – Achraf Hakimi, Virgil van Dijk, Joao Cancelo – Kevin De Bruyne, Casemiro, Luka Modric – Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé. With Bayern’s Cancelo, the Bundesliga is also represented.
10:15 p.m – Fifa also took the opportunity to vote for the best women’s team of the year. There is also a top German player. This is the eleven: Christiane Endler, Lucy Bronze, Maria Leon, Leah Williamson, Wendie Renard, Alexia Putellas, Keira Walsh, Lena OberdorfAlex Morgan, Sam Kerr, Beth Mead.
