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World Cup champion, Lionel Messi has edged out Kylian Mbappé again, this time to take FIFA’s best men’s player award on Monday.
The best women’s player was Spain’s Alexia Putellas for a second straight year.
After steering Argentina to World Cup glory in an epic final against Mbappé’s France last year in Qatar, Messi won the best player vote against Mbappé and Karim Benzema, and secured the FIFA prize for the seventh time in 14 years.
He won the World Cup at his record-equaling fifth attempt.
“It was a crazy year for me,” Messi said. It’s the dream of every player, but very few can achieve it, so I’m thankful to God for being able to do it.”
The three players made the final shortlist in voting by a global panel of national team captains and coaches, selected journalists in each of FIFA’s 211 member countries, plus fans online.
The 35-year-old Messi also beat Mbappé who was seeking his first best player award from FIFA to the Golden Ball trophy awarded by FIFA for the World Cup’s best player. Mbappé earned the Golden Boot as top scorer.
In the FIFA Awards vote, Messi had 52 points, Mbappé 44, and Benzema 34.
Mbappé, 11 years younger than Messi at 24 and considered Messi’s heir apparent on the world stage, made the three-man shortlist for the first time. He was fourth in voting for the 2018 award, the year he led France to the World Cup title.
Real Madrid star, Benzema won the more prestigious Ballon d’Or in October ahead of the World Cup. She was also the joint top scorer.
Earlier, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was voted FIFA men’s coach of the year after leading his team to the World Cup title in December.
The women’s coach award went to Sarina Wiegman, who led the England to the title at the Women’s European Championship.
Scaloni took over Argentina at the end of 2018 on an interim basis, and was widely criticized for lacking experience as he had never coached a professional team. Earlier Monday, his contract as the national team coach was extended to the end of the 2026 World Cup.
The other coaches on the shortlist were Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
The women’s goalkeeper award was given to Euro winner Mary Earps of England, and the best men’s goalkeeper was Argentina’s World Cup winner Emiliano MartÃnez.
The event in Paris was marked by tributes to Pelé, who died late last year at age 82 following a battle with colon cancer.
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