Awards season is upon us, and the sporting world is no exception. While trophies are commonplace during competition, the Best FIFA Football awards commemorate and honor some of the best plays and players on the field.
“The Best FIFA Football Awards annually honour the most outstanding members of the world’s most popular sport,” FIFA said. “They not only represent the game’s highest honour for coaches and footballers, but they are a celebration in which football fans are recognised – and play a vital and active part.”
Many prestigious awards were given at the event in Paris this year, including the Puskás Award. Named after Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskas, the award is for whoever scored the most beautiful or aesthetically pleasing goal.
Fans and experts alike vote on all the awards. This year the victory went to amputee star Marcin Oleksy for his “astonishing scissor-kick goal,” beating out competition like Dimitri Payet and Richarlison.
“The Polish ace combined exceptional athleticism, imagination and technique to score with a jaw-dropping acrobatic effort in a game for Warta Poznan last November,” FIFA said.
As well as celebrating incredible plays, the awards also honor the best players.
For Alexia Putellas, the ceremony marked the second year in a row she has been named The Women’s player of the Year.
“The Spain midfielder has been rewarded for an exceptional 2021-2022 season in which she captained Barcelona to a domestic treble and a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final,” FIFA said.
In addition to Putellas, one of the biggest names in soccer this year was awarded the title of player of the year.
The honor of the title The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2022 was bestowed upon Lionel Messi following his performance this year and during the World Cup.
“The Argentina and Paris St. Germain superstar has been bestowed with the honour following a landmark year in which he inspired his nation to FIFA World Cup glory,” FIFA said.
This year Messi lead his team through a series of tough games to crown them the champions after “the most dramatic World Cup final of all time” against France.
He is a beloved player by both fans and his team.
“I am honoured to train him and see him play. It’s something exciting because every time you see him play, it’s a huge source of motivation for his teammates, the people, and the whole world. Whether Messi is the greatest player of all time… Sometimes as Argentinians, it of course looks like we say that just because we are Argentinian. Maybe it is selfish… I don’t have any doubt saying he is the best in history,” Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni told FIFA.
For Messi, the award was a huge accomplishment he has been working for his whole life.
“This year was crazy for me. I was able to achieve my dream after so much fighting, so much searching, and so much insisting. It’s the most beautiful thing that has happened to me in my career,” Lionel Messi said to FIFA.
While the award “did not come as a surprise” to many, there has been some tension from fellow finalist Karim Benzema, who lost out to Messi.
The Frenchman voiced his displeasure at not receiving the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year Award by posting a series of cryptic social media posts.
This comes with the territory as “each edition of FIFA’s Best awards gives rise to curiosity and controversy due to the voting that is made public once the winner is known,” AS said.
To combat this, FIFA does illustrate how their unique voting process works and they reveal who voted after the awards are announced.
As of Feb. 25th, all of the players recognized, and the league as a whole, are back in action with Major League soccer beginning their 2023 season.