Messi, Mbappe, Benzema Bags FIFA’s Best Player Award Nominations
The three contenders for FIFA’s The Best award for the previous year were revealed on Friday. They were World Cup champion Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Karim Benzema.
Three players were nominated for the highest women’s award: US star Alex Morgan, English forward Beth Mead, and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas of Spain.
Messi, Mbappe, and Benzema are vying with Benzema to replace Robert Lewandowski as the FIFA Award winner for 2020 and 2021. Messi, Mbappe, and Benzema are teammates at Paris Saint-Germain and competed against each other in last year’s World Cup final.
Due to his performances with Real Madrid, Benzema won the Ballon d’Or last year; nevertheless, he was injured and was unable to play in the World Cup.
Putellas, a midfielder for Barcelona and Spain who previously won the female prize, is nominated once more despite being out since July after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.
Beth Mead of Arsenal, who finished second to Putellas for the Ballon d’Or in October, is also out for the long term due to a knee injury.
The winners will be announced in Paris on February 27. A jury made up of journalists, national team captains, and fans will cast their votes for them.
Additional awards include the Puskas Award for the best goal of 2022, the best goalie, and the best male and female coaches.
