Third in 2020 and second in 2021, Lionel Messi on Monday 27 February 2023 won the FIFA The Best 2022 trophy, rewarding the best player of the calendar year. Even at 35, the Argentine genius continues to collect trophies. He and his teammates of the Albiceleste did not even leave crumbs to the Madrid, winners of the C1, who were conspicuous by their absence at the ceremony.
While they had, a few months ago, raided the Ballon d'Or ceremony, rewarding their crazy 2021-2022 season, the Real Madrid players were absent this Monday in Paris for the Fifa The Best trophies. They did not win any individual award and as they had heard, the Madrid players simply boycotted the ceremony, despite the nominations of Karim Benzema, Thibault Courtois and Carlo Ancelotti.
Fifa has decided to put forward its flagship competition: the 2022 World Cup to be held in November and December in Qatar. However, the Real Madrid striker, stratospheric in the Champions League, and his Italian coach, who has turned around the most complicated situations in the prestigious European competition, were not in Asia. And the Belgian goalkeeper was pitifully eliminated in the first round.
Messi again crowned Fifa The Best
Argentina, the reigning world champions, won everything at the Fifa The Best ceremony. Even the trophy for the best supporters. The one for the best goalkeeper went to Emiliano Martinez, Albiceleste's sulphurous last defender. Although he is disputed at Aston Villa, he was phenomenal in Qatar with his national team, playing a major role in Argentina's victory. This month in Doha is more important to FIFA than the other nine months during which Courtois has shone on the various European surfaces. Lionel Scaloni has also stolen the limelight from Ancelotti. He has been named the best coach of the year 2022 thanks to this third world star offered to Argentina.
🚨 🇦🇷 LIONEL MESSI EST ÉLU JOUEUR FIFA DE L'ANNÉE ! #TheBest
— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) February 27, 2023
And to top it all off, Lionel Messi was once again on top of the world with a calendar year 2022 with 35 goals and 30 assists in 51 appearances. And above all that World Cup title. Third in 2020 and second in 2021, he returns to the top as in 2019. Even when we think he is finished, this genius still magically manages to magnetize all the awards. Trophies and honors are the story of his life. In Madrid, no one will certainly think so today.
Fifa The Best 2022: all the awards
Best player: Lionel Messi (PSG, Argentina)
Best player: Alexia Putellas (FC Barcelona, Spain)
Best Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
Best Goalkeeper: Mary Earps (Manchester United, England)
Best Coach (Men's Football): Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
Best Coach (Women's Football): Sarina Wiegman (England)
Best FIFA FIFPRO XI (men's soccer): Courtois - Hakimi, Van Dijk, João Cancelo - Casemiro, De Bruyne, Modric - Messi, Benzema, Håland, Mbappé
Best FIFA FIFPRO XI (women's soccer): Endler - Bronze, Williamson, Renard, Leon - Putellas, Walsh, Oberdorf - Morgan, Mead, Kerr.
Supporters' Award: Argentina
Puskas Award: Marcin Oleksy (Warta Poznan, Poland)
