Argentina and PSG forward Lionel Messi has been declared the men’s player of the year at the 2022 Best FIFA Awards.
Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or award seven times, beat out French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema for the title.
The 35-year-old Messi played a key role in Argentina’s triumph at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, having scored 27 goals in 49 games for both his club and country in the 2021-22 season.
Alexia Putellas of Barcelona was named the women’s player of the year.
At the awards ceremony held in Paris, Lionel Scaloni, who led Argentina to their third World Cup title, was chosen as the men’s coach of the year.
Scaloni won the award over Pep Guardiola, who led Manchester City to their sixth Premier League title, and Carlo Ancelotti, who guided Real Madrid to their Champions League win.
The women’s coach of the year award went to England manager Sarina Wiegman, who led the Lionesses to their first major trophy, the European Championship, on home soil last year.
Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa and Argentina was named the leading men’s goalkeeper.
The 30-year-old played a crucial role in helping his country win the World Cup, saving four penalties along the way, including in the shootout against France in the final.
The FIFA Puskas award for the best goal in world football was given to Marcin Oleksy, an amputee footballer from Polish side Warta Poznan.
Oleksy’s stunning strike against Stal Rzeszow, which he scored with the help of his crutches, was an overhead volley that hit the back of the net.
