The Argentine star and the Barça player are the best of 2022 for FIFA, winning the award for the second time in their careers
Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas are the best in the world for FIFA. The highest body in world football differed from the criteria established by the Ballon d’Or awarded to Karim Benzema in October and already recognized with the World Cup on the table, unlike the prize awarded by ‘France Football’ the Argentinian star with The Best trophy of Paris Saint-Germain. The man from Rosario was crowned king of a night in which the queen was Spanish again in the city where he now lives. Alexia Putellas rounded off a dream year 2022 with her second consecutive Ballon d’Or-The Best double, cementing her status as the most unbalanced player in the world.
In the men’s world, the World Cup in Qatar was ultimately decisive, as usually happens in years of major national team tournaments. With the long-awaited World Cup, Messi closed the circle of a dream career in Doha. It was the only hole in his record, the thorn in it since that final loss to Germany in Brazil in 2014, the last conquest that finally reached Maradona, the great myth. This The Best also has a special significance, as it is the tenth individual trophy for a player who is incomparable in number. In addition to his seven Ballon d’Ors and the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year, before the governing body of world football and ‘France Football’ crossed their paths until 2016, he now adds his second The Best.
“It’s a pleasure and an honor to be here again, with Karim and Kylian, who have had a great season. This year was crazy for me, I was able to achieve my dream after fighting so much and pushing so much,” said Messi, highlighting the work of his teammates and the coaching staff of the Argentina team at the climax of a gala that It recovered its traditional splendor after the telematics version of 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic A brilliant night in the City of Lights in which the figure of Pelé was very present, to whom a beautiful tribute was paid with images to remember, the presence of his widow and the moving speech of his compatriot Ronaldo Nazário.
The striker from Rosario was the undisputed leader of the Albiceleste who took the world by storm 36 years after that unforgettable summer of 1986 in Mexico. His seven goals and three assists earned him recognition as the tournament’s best player. And it is that Messi was the MVP of five of Argentina’s seven matches in Qatar, including the four qualifiers, an all-out best-case scenario dominance that ultimately proved decisive for The Best being chosen. And it is that good proof of the weight of the World Cup in the prize is also provided by the nomination of Kylian Mbappé, runner-up in Qatar with a French team whose PSG striker was also an unquestionable reference.
The Frenchman slipped onto the podium of the major individual football trophies for the first time, a clear sample of things to come in the coming years, and confirmed that the club competition has had less weight in the choice of the winner, as Messi and Mbappé dominated despite a disappointing season in the Parque de los Príncipes. The pharaonic PSG fulfilled the Ligue 1 title, a liability, but crashed again in the Champions League, with Karim Benzema’s epic knockout in the round of 16 against Real Madrid, before which his wonderful European nights opened the doors of the Ballon d’ Or opened but not from The Best, which takes into account the whole year 2022 and not the season, as in the case of the prize awarded by ‘France Football’. The three were in FIFA’s ideal eleven and completed a dream attack alongside Haaland, with Casemiro, Kevin de Bruyne and Modric in midfield, Achraf, Van Dijk and Cancelo as defenders and Courtois under the crossbar, despite not being among the best goalkeeper was elected.
In the ladies club competitions were decisive as Alexia Putellas won her second consecutive trophy despite being left out of the Eurocup due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, from which she is still recovering. The Barça player defeated Arsenal’s English striker Beth Mead, European champion with her team, and also American striker Alex Morgan, a player of the North American San Diego Wave and one of the most talked about footballers in the world. “This shows that if you have a dream, you have to chase it and above all enjoy the journey,” said the Barca midfielder, who was also part of an ideal eleven with another Spaniard, Mapi León.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
