Lionel Messi was named Best FIFA Men's Player at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, beating Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.
Messi beat his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, and World Cup
final rival, Kylian Mbappe to the men’s gong with Ballon d’Or winner Karim
Benzema the other contender to claim the prize.
It is the second time that Messi has won the honour
inaugurated by FIFA in 2016 after football’s world governing body split from
Ballon d’Or organisers France Football.
The award, which is voted for by national team coaches and
captains, journalists and also fans, recognises a year in which the former
Barcelona star crowned his glorious career by leading Argentina to victory at
the World Cup.
Messi scored twice in an epic final in Doha as Argentina
beat France on penalties despite Mbappe netting a hat-trick for Les Bleus in a
remarkable 3-3 draw.
The 35-year-old, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, succeeds
Robert Lewandowski on the FIFA honours list, while Putellas retained the
women’s prize despite spending the second half of last year out injured.
The 29-year-old beat England’s European Championship-winning
striker Beth Mead and United States star Alex Morgan to add the FIFA crown to
the Ballon d’Or, which she has also won two years running.
Putellas is currently recovering from a serious knee injury
suffered last July which saw her miss the Euro in England with Spain.
Prior to that she had scored 11 goals on Barcelona’s run to
the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon.
AFP