Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to the world title in 2022, is the top favorite to win the FIFA Player of the Year trophy for the seventh time, which will now be awarded in Paris.
The best player of the tournament held in Qatar, the 35-year-old Argentine should repeat his victories in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2018/19.
Between 2010 and 2015, the award was chosen jointly by FIFA and the French magazine France Football, which awards the Ballon d’Or, a trophy that the Albi Celeste captain has won seven times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021).
In addition to the world title, Messi won the Finalissima for Argentina, in a clash between the winners of the America’s Cup and the European Cup (Italy), and with Paris Saint-Germain won the championship and the French Super Cup. Cup, total in 2022 35 goals and 31 assists in 51 games.
The other two finalists are two French strikers, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, and Kylian Mbappé, Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain teammate. They traded three goals on Sunday in a 3-0 Parisian win in Marseille.
Benzema won the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the European Super Cup and the Spanish League with Real Madrid but missed the World Cup due to injury and Mbappe was the 2022 World Cup top scorer, including a hat-trick in the final he lost to become French champion.
As for other honors in the men’s sector, Argentine world champions Lionel Scaloni and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez should surpass Catalan Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Italian Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), as well as Belgian Thibaut Courtois ( “Real Madrid”). Madrid) and Moroccan Yassin Bounou (Sevilla), respectively.
In the women’s category, Beth Mead, Alex Morgan and Alexia Putellas compete for Player of the Year, Sonia Bompastor, Pia Sandhage and Sarina Wigman for Coach, while Anne-Katherine Berger, Mary Earps and Christian Endeler compete for Best Goalkeeper.
Among other things, FIFA rewards the best fans with the Argentines on the “pole” to win and presents the Puskas prize, which is awarded to the best goal, with the candidates Richarlison, Marcin Oleksi and Dimitri Payet, as well as Fair-Play.
The eleventh FIFPro tournament of the year will also be announced, in which the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo will take part.