Highlights:
- Lionel Messi won Best Men’s Player 2022 at the FIFA awards 2022.
- Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni won Best Men’s Coach.
- Marcin Oleksy won The FIFA Puskas Award, Luka Lochoshvili won The FIFA Fair Play award, and Argentina’s fans won Best Fan title.
After Argentina’s World Cup victory in December of last year, Lionel Messi won the Best Men’s Player 2022 award at the FIFA awards on Monday.
The 35-year-old scored twice against France in the tournament final, and Argentina won on penalties after a 3-3 draw in Qatar. While Emiliano Martinez of Argentina took home the award of Best Men’s Goalkeeper, Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni won the title of Best Men’s Coach.
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Messi expressed his delight at winning the award, stating, “I am thrilled. This has been an incredible year, and I am deeply honored to receive this award tonight.” He was accompanied by his Paris St. Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe from France, and they sat together throughout the ceremony held at Paris’s Salle Pleyel.
#TheBest of #TheBest ? pic.twitter.com/U2ZxPq2aux
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 27, 2023
At the World Cup final, Mbappe scored three goals but was overshadowed by Messi, who was also nominated for the award.
Messi acknowledged his coach Lionel Scaloni and teammates, stating that he would not have been able to achieve this feat without their support. He added, “Realizing this long-awaited dream is an incredible feeling, and I am grateful for the opportunity. It’s a dream that every player aspires to achieve, and I consider myself fortunate to be one of the few who have succeeded.”
The fans of Argentina were awarded the Best Fan title at the prestigious ceremony. Additionally, Marcin Oleksy won The FIFA Puskas Award for scoring the best goal of the year, while Luka Lochoshvili was presented with The FIFA Fair Play award for his commendable response during a match for Wolfsberger AC. When an opposing player fell unconscious on the pitch, Luka promptly rushed to his aid, earning him recognition for his exemplary behavior.
The Ballon d’Or winner from the previous year, Alexia Putellas of Barcelona, was awarded the Best Women’s Player, Mary Earps of England earned the Best Women’s Goalkeeper award, and Sarina Wiegman of England was chosen the Best Women’s Coach.
