Topics: FIFA, The Best FIFA Awards, Argentina, Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema
The Argentine superstar secured his first-ever Best FIFA award after inspiring his country to another World Cup win.

For the seventh time in his career, and for the second since the renaming, Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has won The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year award. The 35-year-old Paris Saint-Germain beat off competition from French pair Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe to secure the gong following a memorable 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign with Albiceleste in Qatar.

Messi led Argentina to glory at last year's competition, scoring seven times, including twice in the final against France, and laying on three assists. The exceptional journey in Qatar ended a the South American country's 36-year-wait for their third mundial and sealed the iconic No.10's place among thr country's greats.

While the World Cup achievement was unprecedented, Messi's competitors on the podium in Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema equally had a year to remember. The former, who was present at the gala inside Salle Pleyel in Paris, finished as the World Cup's Golden Boot award winner after netting eight goals for France in their run-in to the final. Between August 8, 2021 and December 18, 2022 – the time period on which this year's FIFA Best awards are based – Mbappe scored 58 goals for PSG, the highest figure of any player across Europe's top five leagues.

Karim Benzema, on the other hand, finished the period with 50 goals for Real Madrid, inspiring them to another triumphant Champions League campaign and the Spanish La Liga title. However, an injury on the eve of the World Cup ruined the striker's chances of featuring for France in Qatar.

In the women's category, Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas was named the winner of the award. The Barcelona pipped USMNT star Alex Morgan and England's Beth Mead to win the gong for the second successive year. England's Emma Earps was adjudged the Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper of 2022 while Argentina's Emiliano Martinez won the accolade in the men's category.

Meanwhile, Polish amputee Marcin Oleksy then won the FIFA Puskas Award with his spectacular overhead kick goal for Stal Rzeszow in the PZU Amp Futbol Ekstraklasa. In the coaching department, Sarina Wiegman won her third title as the Best FIFA Women's Coach for leading England to to victory at the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 on home soil. Lionel Scaloni was named the winner for the men's category for leading Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy in Qatar.

Luka Lochoshvili received the FIFA Fair Play Award while the FIFA Fan Award went to the Argentina Men's National team fans. Below are the selected football stars who featured in the FIFA FIFPro Women and Men's World XI: 

Late Brazilian legend Pele received the FIFA Special Best Award for his contribution to football. The three-time FIFA World Cup winner passed away on December 29, 2022 following a long battle with illness.