Just like in the World Cup final, Paris Saint-Germain teammates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe go up against one another for The Best FIFA Men’s Player prize for 2022 on Monday, with Ballon d’Or Karim Benzema the other contender. The ceremony takes place in Paris, and Messi appears as the favorite to add another individual gong to his collection after leading Argentina to glory over Mbappe’s France in that epic encounter in Qatar. Messi has won the Ballon d’Or seven times and claimed the FIFA award -– inaugurated in 2016 following FIFA’s split with Ballon d’Or organisers France Football –- once in 2019.Leo Messi is expected to win FIFA the best player award by over 95% of the points. [L’equipe] pic.twitter.com/JrF8PjKYEo— LM10𓃵 (@leo10_football) February 25, 2023 In the last two years Messi has made the podium as Robert Lewandowski has won the title, but the 35-year-old’s career-crowning World Cup triumph was the defining moment of 2022. The winner is decided by a jury comprised of the coach and captain of every man’s national team and one journalist from each country, but fans can also vote. Mbappe became the first player to score a World Cup final hat-trick since Geoff Hurst in 1966 as he dragged France to a 3-3 draw after extra time –- despite two goals by Messi — before they eventually succumbed in a shoot-out.Aguero’s big mouth: Messi’s best friend reveals his possible destination this JuneMbappe, who turned 24 just after the final, was the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, one more than Messi, who claimed the Golden Ball for best player. He was also comfortably PSG’s most important player in the year leading up to the World Cup, despite being joined there by Messi — he was Ligue 1’s leading scorer and France’s player of the year.Messi running away from ‘Hollywood’, Neymar doesn’t even think of movingBenzema’s chances of winning another individual honor were hit after he missed the World Cup due to injury. Exiled from the French team for five and a half years because of his involvement in a blackmail scandal over a sextape involving a former teammate, Benzema’s Ballon d’Or win last October had completed his own career redemption. The Real Madrid striker, now 35, scored 44 goals in 46 games for his club last season, inspiring them to glory in the Champions League and La Liga.##NAJAVA_MECA_7049235##Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni is up for the men’s coach’s honor along with Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola. Brazil star Richarlison’s World Cup strike against Serbia is one of three nominees for the Puskas Award for best goal, named after Hungary great Ferenc Puskas. Marseille’s Dimitri Payet and Polish amputee player Marcin Oleksy are also nominated, while there is also a category for the best male and female goalkeeper.© Agence France-Presse
