Lionel Messi was the big winner for the men’s game in the FIFA The Best awards held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France on Monday, February 27, 2023.
It was his seventh FIFA award to make him the record winner of FIFA accolades in football history. However, due to the fact that FIFA and France Football both collaborated on the Ballon d’Or for most of the 2000s and 2010s, it was only his second award.
Messi won the big prize after failing to make the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist in the previous month of October and after a tremendous World Cup outing in December 2022 which saw him win the title and all the big accolades.
The results were leaked ahead as has become the norm for the awards and Monday’s ceremony confirmed the leaks to be true. The Paris Saint-Germain forward beat club teammate Kylian Mbappe and former El Clasico rival Karim Benzema to the award.
The 35-year-old was full of emotions as he spoke about how the award capped a great year for him professionally and personally, while thanking his club and national teammates for their help.
“Wow, it’s amazing. It’s been a tremendous year and it’s an honour for me to be here tonight and win this award,” he said. “Without my team-mates I wouldn’t be here. I achieved the dream I had been hoping for for so long. Very few people can achieve that and I have been lucky to do so.”
It was an even bigger night for Argentina as they swept all the accolades for the men’s game. Aston Villa and La Albiceleste goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made away with the award for The Best goalkeeper, while Lionel Scaling, La Albiceleste manager, beat Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola to the award for The Best manager.
The Argentine national team fans also won the award for the best fans, with long time Albiceleste fan Carlos Pascual, popularly known as Tula by the rest of the fan base, picking up the award.
Tula had attended every World Cup since 1974 and witnessed the last two victories for the Albiceleste, which made it even more emotional.
Other big winners were Alexia Putellas who won her second straight women’s award; Sarina Wiegman who won the award for the Best women’s coach, and amputee football star Marcin Oleksy winning the Puskas award for his incredible scissor kick in an amputee football tournament.
