MESSI AND PUTELLAS VOTED BEST PLAYERS AT THE FIFA AWARDS AGAIN

World Cup champion Lionel Messi edged Kylian Mbappe again to take FIFA's best men's player award. The best women's player was Spain's Alexia Putellas for a second straight year...

- STAFF WRITER

World Cup champion Lionel Messi edged Kylian Mbappé again to take FIFA’s best men’s player award. 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 on his record-equaling fifth attempt. “It was a crazy year for me,” Messi said. “I could fulfil my (World Cup) dream after fighting for it for so long. And in the end it happened, and it was the most beautiful thing of my career. 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 the top scorer.