Lionel Messi was voted the best player in the world for the seventh time this Monday, the 27th. won since 2019. The event took place again in person after years due to health measures arising from the covid pandemic.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, by France Football magazine, The Best considers the performance of each player during the European season, in this case from August 8, 2021 to December 18, 2022, date of the Qatar World Cup final . Messi was chosen by coaches and captains of all 211 teams affiliated to FIFA, as well as specialized journalists from each of these countries and fans from all over the world registered on the FIFA website, who voted between January 12 and February 3.
The extension of the evaluation period was decisive for the victory of Messi, who made the best of his World Cups in his fifth participation at the age of 35 and led Argentina to eternal glory with performances of protagonism that he had not yet had in World Cups. Seven goals and three assists left his feet in the Alviceleste tri campaign.
Considered by some to be the greatest player in history, even greater than Pelé, Messi won the cup he dreamed of in the final game of football’s most important competition.
At PSG, Messi was not brilliant, but he contributed to the titles of the French Championship 2021/22 and the French Super Cup 2022. In the period covered by the award, the Argentine scored 45 goals, gave 34 assists in 74 games and won four titles.
He had already won the FIFA award six times, in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019. With another trophy, he is isolated as the athlete most often elected the best player in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo is the second biggest winner. The Portuguese star has won the honor five times: in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Benzema and Mbappé still haven’t won the FIFA honor. The Real Madrid striker, however, took the Golden Ball last year for his outstanding performances in the 2021/2022 Champions League, won by the Spanish giant for the 14th time. Injured, he did not play in the Cup.
Mbappé was top scorer at the World Cup in Qatar, with eight goals, three of them in the final, but his France was beaten by Messi’s Argentina on penalties.
Benzema, by the way, as well as his Real Madrid colleagues, did not attend the ceremony as the club retaliated for the Brazilian’s absence from the list of the 26 best players in the world drawn up by Fifa. The club only sent the director of institutional relations to the event.
Brazil lost Puskás, with Richarlison, but was represented by Casemiro in the men’s selection of the season (Fifpro). The team was formed by Courtouis; Hakimi, Van Dijk and João Cancelo; Casemiro, De Bruyne and Modric; Messi, Mbappé, Benzema and Haaland.
ARGENTINA NIGHT
The awards were dominated by Argentines. It wasn’t just Messi who celebrated. Lionel Scaloni, the 44-year-old coach responsible for “Scaloneta” beat the renowned Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) and won among the coaches.
The provocative Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez got the better of the Moroccan Yassine Bounou and the Frenchman Thibaut Courtois was chosen as the best goalkeeper in the world. Both Scaloni and Dibu had a fundamental participation for Argentina’s third in Qatar. The World Cup, therefore, had considerable weight in the awards.
“My parents are my great idols. When people ask me which goalkeeper inspires me, I remember my mother cleaning”, said the Argentine goalkeeper, protagonist of a story of overcoming obstacles. He almost gave up football.
Former assistant to Sampaoli, Scaloni rebuilt a battered Argentina national team, champion of the Copa America over Brazil in 2021 and a historic World Cup in Qatar in 2022. “I thank the 26 players who led us to glory. I am eternally grateful to them. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing the people of your country excited in the streets, celebrating”, said the coach. “We played for them. We have this eternal gratitude and we dedicate this award to them”.
Even the Argentine crowd was rewarded in Paris. The “hinchas” won in the Fan Award category for their party in the stands of stadiums and in the streets of Qatar during the World Cup. The fans took the Libertadores atmosphere to the Middle East and were essential for Argentina’s third championship. “Muchachos, ahora nos volvimos a ilusionar” (“Boys, we dream again”), the most famous song by the musical group “La Mosca”, was adapted and rocked the Alviceleste team on its successful journey in Qatar.
The group of thousands of Argentines who went to Qatar was represented at the awards by a veteran fan, Carlos “Tula” Pascual, who brought instruments and even played the bass drum after a long speech.
The Fair Play award was given to Luka Lochoshvili, a Georgian defender for Cremonese, Italy, who helped save an opponent’s life on the pitch.
