Messi beats Mbappe to Best FIFA Men's award

Lionel Messi was named Best FIFA Men's Player astatine a ceremonial successful Paris connected Monday, beating Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.

Messi won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina successful December -- the country's archetypal successful 36 years -- ending his hold for the lone large honour to person eluded him successful his career.

- Barcelona's Putellas wins Best FIFA Women's Player

"It's amazing. It was a tremendous twelvemonth and it is an honour for maine to beryllium present contiguous and triumph this award", said Messi, who sat adjacent to Mbappe passim the ceremonial astatine Paris's Salle Pleyel.

Monday's grant was Messi's 2nd FIFA The Best title, his archetypal coming successful 2019. He has besides won a grounds 7 Ballon d'Or awards.

"I privation to explicit my acknowledgment to (coach Lionel) Scaloni and my squad mates, without them I would not beryllium here," Messi added.

"I achieved a imagination I had been hoping for truthful agelong and yet I achieved it. It's a imagination for immoderate player, precise fewer radical tin execute that and I was fortunate capable to bash so."

Messi scored 7 goals astatine the World Cup successful Qatar -- including a brace successful the thrilling 3-3 last triumph connected penalties -- finishing 1 down Golden Boot victor Mbappe.

Messi has scored 16 goals successful 27 games successful each competitions this season, arsenic good arsenic registering 14 assists, arsenic helium chases his 2nd Ligue 1 rubric successful 2 years astatine PSG.

Barcelona's Alexis Putellas won the Best FIFA Women's award for the 2nd twelvemonth running, while Argentina's Lionel Scaloni and Emiliano Martinez won the awards for apical manager and goalkeeper, respectively.

Mary Earps was named pistillate keeper of the twelvemonth and England's Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman received the accolade for champion coach.

Polish amputee Marcin Oleksy won the Puskas prize for champion extremity of the twelvemonth for a spectacular acrobatic volley with Warta Poznan against Stal Rzeszow.