<p>Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time.</p>

<p>The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius was second in the Ballon d'Or, with Real electing to snub the ceremony when they found out beforehand that Manchester City midfielder Rodri was set to win the trophy.</p>

<p>But the Brazilian was this time on hand to collect the prize in person as he is in Qatar with his club ahead of their Intercontinental Cup final clash with Mexico's Pachuca on Wednesday.</p>

<p>"Thank you very much. I don't know where to start. It was impossible to think of getting here. I grew up in a world of poverty, of organised crime. It's for all the children who grow up in that world. I thank everyone who voted for me," Vinicius said on stage.</p>

<p>"(Thank you) To my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who always helps me.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be at Madrid for many years, because it is the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my team-mates in my national team. And to my country, which always supports me in my work."</p>

<p>Vinicius succeeds Lionel Messi as the FIFA Best men's player after the Argentinian scooped up the last two editions of the award.</p>

<p>The live wire forward scored 24 goals and laid on 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions as he led Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last season.</p>

<p>Having already wrapped up his third La Liga title in May, Vinicius secured the second Champions League trophy of his career as Real beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on June 1.</p>

<p>Vinicius was on the scoresheet at Wembley with a pinpoint finish inside the final 10 minutes to make the game safe for his team.</p>

<p>If Vinicius at times played second fiddle to clubmate Jude Bellingham in La Liga, he was undoubtedly the main man for Madrid in Europe once the going got serious.</p>

<p>He was the top scorer for the Champions League winners with six goals in the competition, including the strike in the final and a brace in Madrid's 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.</p>

<p>He also scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory in the final of the Supercopa against arch-rivals Barcelona in January.</p>

<p>But it was not all plain sailing last season for Vinicius as he endured a disappointing Copa America with the Brazilian national team over the summer.</p>

<p>He scored two goals in a group-stage win against Paraguay, but his side ultimately crashed out on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-finals.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/super-league-promoters-reveal-approaching-fifa-uefa-for-official-recognition-784749">Super League promoters reveal approaching FIFA, UEFA for official recognition</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>Serial winner Bonmati</strong></h2>

<p>The 26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati picked up the Best women's player award for the second year running, adding to the two Ballon d'Or trophies she already boasts.</p>

<p>"I'm grateful, I'm proud to receive this award," Bonmati said via video link from Barcelona's Olympic stadium.</p>

<p>Last term, Bonmati led Barcelona to a historic continental quadruple of titles and claimed the Nations League with her national team.</p>

<p>She won every trophy available to her in club football in 2023/24 -- the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de Espana and a second-successive Women's Champions League.</p>

<p>Bonmati scored a goal and put in a player-of-the-match performance as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the final of the Champions League to claim their third title in four seasons.</p>

<p>Manchester United's Argentine forward Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas award for the best goal of the year for his spectacular bicycle kick against Everton in the Premier League.</p>

<p><em><strong>Disclaimer:</strong>&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.</em></p>


Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time.

Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time. The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius was second in the Ballon d'Or, with Real electing to snub the ceremony when they found out beforehand that Manchester City midfielder Rodri was set to win the trophy. But the Brazilian was this time on hand to collect the prize in person as he is in Qatar with his club ahead of their Intercontinental Cup final clash with Mexico's Pachuca on Wednesday. "Thank you very much. I don't know where to start. It was impossible to think of getting here. I grew up in a world of poverty, of organised crime. It's for all the children who grow up in that world. I thank everyone who voted for me," Vinicius said on stage. "(Thank you) To my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who always helps me. "To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be at Madrid for many years, because it is the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my team-mates in my national team. And to my country, which always supports me in my work." Vinicius succeeds Lionel Messi as the FIFA Best men's player after the Argentinian scooped up the last two editions of the award. The live wire forward scored 24 goals and laid on 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions as he led Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last season. Having already wrapped up his third La Liga title in May, Vinicius secured the second Champions League trophy of his career as Real beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on June 1. Vinicius was on the scoresheet at Wembley with a pinpoint finish inside the final 10 minutes to make the game safe for his team. If Vinicius at times played second fiddle to clubmate Jude Bellingham in La Liga, he was undoubtedly the main man for Madrid in Europe once the going got serious. He was the top scorer for the Champions League winners with six goals in the competition, including the strike in the final and a brace in Madrid's 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. He also scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory in the final of the Supercopa against arch-rivals Barcelona in January. But it was not all plain sailing last season for Vinicius as he endured a disappointing Copa America with the Brazilian national team over the summer. He scored two goals in a group-stage win against Paraguay, but his side ultimately crashed out on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-finals. ALSO READ | Super League promoters reveal approaching FIFA, UEFA for official recognition Serial winner Bonmati The 26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati picked up the Best women's player award for the second year running, adding to the two Ballon d'Or trophies she already boasts. "I'm grateful, I'm proud to receive this award," Bonmati said via video link from Barcelona's Olympic stadium. Last term, Bonmati led Barcelona to a historic continental quadruple of titles and claimed the Nations League with her national team. She won every trophy available to her in club football in 2023/24 -- the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de Espana and a second-successive Women's Champions League. Bonmati scored a goal and put in a player-of-the-match performance as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the final of the Champions League to claim their third title in four seasons. Manchester United's Argentine forward Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas award for the best goal of the year for his spectacular bicycle kick against Everton in the Premier League. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Vinicius Jr, Aitana Bonmati named FIFA Best players of the year

<p><span class="region">Doha, Qatar</span>
<p>Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time.</p></p>
<p>The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius was second in the Ballon d'Or, with Real electing to snub the ceremony when they found out beforehand that Manchester City midfielder Rodri was set to win the trophy.</p>
<p>But the Brazilian was this time on hand to collect the prize in person as he is in Qatar with his club ahead of their Intercontinental Cup final clash with Mexico's Pachuca on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"Thank you very much. I don't know where to start. It was impossible to think of getting here. I grew up in a world of poverty, of organised crime. It's for all the children who grow up in that world. I thank everyone who voted for me," Vinicius said on stage.</p>
<p>"(Thank you) To my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who always helps me. </p>
<p>"To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be at Madrid for many years, because it is the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my team-mates in my national team. And to my country, which always supports me in my work."</p>
<p>Vinicius succeeds Lionel Messi as the FIFA Best men's player after the Argentinian scooped up the last two editions of the award.</p>
<p>The live wire forward scored 24 goals and laid on 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions as he led Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last season.</p>
<p>Having already wrapped up his third La Liga title in May, Vinicius secured the second Champions League trophy of his career as Real beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on June 1.</p>
<p>Vinicius was on the scoresheet at Wembley with a pinpoint finish inside the final 10 minutes to make the game safe for his team.</p>
<p>If Vinicius at times played second fiddle to clubmate Jude Bellingham in La Liga, he was undoubtedly the main man for Madrid in Europe once the going got serious.</p>
<p>He was the top scorer for the Champions League winners with six goals in the competition, including the strike in the final and a brace in Madrid's 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.</p>
<p>He also scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory in the final of the Supercopa against arch-rivals Barcelona in January.</p>
<p>But it was not all plain sailing last season for Vinicius as he endured a disappointing Copa America with the Brazilian national team over the summer.</p>
<p>He scored two goals in a group-stage win against Paraguay, but his side ultimately crashed out on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-finals.</p>
<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/super-league-promoters-reveal-approaching-fifa-uefa-for-official-recognition-784749">Super League promoters reveal approaching FIFA, UEFA for official recognition</a></strong></p>
<h2><strong>Serial winner Bonmati</strong></h2>
<p>The 26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati picked up the Best women's player award for the second year running, adding to the two Ballon d'Or trophies she already boasts.</p>
<p>"I'm grateful, I'm proud to receive this award," Bonmati said via video link from Barcelona's Olympic stadium.</p>
<p>Last term, Bonmati led Barcelona to a historic continental quadruple of titles and claimed the Nations League with her national team.</p>
<p>She won every trophy available to her in club football in 2023/24 -- the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de Espana and a second-successive Women's Champions League.</p>
<p>Bonmati scored a goal and put in a player-of-the-match performance as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the final of the Champions League to claim their third title in four seasons.</p>
<p>Manchester United's Argentine forward Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas award for the best goal of the year for his spectacular bicycle kick against Everton in the Premier League.</p>
<p><em><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.</em></p>


The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius was second in the Ballon d'Or, with Real electing to snub the ceremony when they found out beforehand that Manchester City midfielder Rodri was set to win the trophy.



Doha, Qatar Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time. The award comes two months after 24-year-old Vinicius was second in the Ballon d'Or, with Real electing to snub the ceremony when they found out beforehand that Manchester City midfielder Rodri was set to win the trophy. But the Brazilian was this time on hand to collect the prize in person as he is in Qatar with his club ahead of their Intercontinental Cup final clash with Mexico's Pachuca on Wednesday. "Thank you very much. I don't know where to start. It was impossible to think of getting here. I grew up in a world of poverty, of organised crime. It's for all the children who grow up in that world. I thank everyone who voted for me," Vinicius said on stage. "(Thank you) To my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who always helps me. "To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be at Madrid for many years, because it is the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my team-mates in my national team. And to my country, which always supports me in my work." Vinicius succeeds Lionel Messi as the FIFA Best men's player after the Argentinian scooped up the last two editions of the award. The live wire forward scored 24 goals and laid on 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions as he led Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last season. Having already wrapped up his third La Liga title in May, Vinicius secured the second Champions League trophy of his career as Real beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on June 1. Vinicius was on the scoresheet at Wembley with a pinpoint finish inside the final 10 minutes to make the game safe for his team. If Vinicius at times played second fiddle to clubmate Jude Bellingham in La Liga, he was undoubtedly the main man for Madrid in Europe once the going got serious. He was the top scorer for the Champions League winners with six goals in the competition, including the strike in the final and a brace in Madrid's 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. He also scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory in the final of the Supercopa against arch-rivals Barcelona in January. But it was not all plain sailing last season for Vinicius as he endured a disappointing Copa America with the Brazilian national team over the summer. He scored two goals in a group-stage win against Paraguay, but his side ultimately crashed out on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-finals. ALSO READ | Super League promoters reveal approaching FIFA, UEFA for official recognition Serial winner Bonmati The 26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati picked up the Best women's player award for the second year running, adding to the two Ballon d'Or trophies she already boasts. "I'm grateful, I'm proud to receive this award," Bonmati said via video link from Barcelona's Olympic stadium. Last term, Bonmati led Barcelona to a historic continental quadruple of titles and claimed the Nations League with her national team. She won every trophy available to her in club football in 2023/24 -- the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de Espana and a second-successive Women's Champions League. Bonmati scored a goal and put in a player-of-the-match performance as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the final of the Champions League to claim their third title in four seasons. Manchester United's Argentine forward Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas award for the best goal of the year for his spectacular bicycle kick against Everton in the Premier League. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

<p>Lionel Messi&nbsp;was named FIFA's Best men's player for 2022, while Barcelona star Alexia Putellas was named the Best FIFA women's player for 2022 at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MESSI IS THE WINNER OF THE BEST AWARD ❤️🐐 <a href="https://t.co/4pJhMoVCI6">pic.twitter.com/4pJhMoVCI6</a></p>
— Messi Media (@LeoMessiMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeoMessiMedia/status/1630321844594294784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On top of the world. 💫<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/alexiaputellas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alexiaputellas</a> has been crowned <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheBest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheBest</a> FIFA Women’s Player 2022! <a href="https://t.co/Wtcgg8SUmO">pic.twitter.com/Wtcgg8SUmO</a></p>
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWWC/status/1630319588788379651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>For Messi, it was the second time he won Best FIFA Men's Player after winning it in 2019, while Barcelona and Spain star Alexia Putellas won the award for the second consecutive year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Messi beat fellow finalists Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. Putellas won the award over Alex Morgan and Beth Mead.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Messi was expected to win the award after leading Argentina to the World Cup win last year in Qatar, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's "Best Player."&nbsp;The 35-year-old and a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner succeeds Robert Lewandowski on the FIFA honour list.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This award&nbsp;recognises a year in which the former Barcelona star crowned his glorious career&nbsp;by scoring twice in an epic final in Doha where&nbsp;Argentina beat France on penalties despite Mbappe netting a hat-trick for Les Bleus in a remarkable 3-3 draw.</p>

<p>While the 29-year-old led Barcelona to a domestic treble in 2021-2022 before tearing her ACL on the eve of Spain's Euro 2022 campaign. She beat England's European Championship-winning striker Beth Mead and US Star Alex Morgan to add the Fifa crown to the Ballon d'Or despite spending the last second half of 2022 in a serious knee injury. Prior to her injury, she had scored 11 goals on Barcelona's run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon.</p>

<p>This honour was initially inaugurated in 2016 by FIFA after football's governing body split from Ballon d'Or organisers France Football.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This award is voted for by national team coaches and captains, journalists and fans.</p>

<p>(with inputs from agencies)<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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Lionel Messi was named FIFA's Best men's player for 2022, while Barcelona star Alexia Putellas was named the Best FIFA women's player for 2022 at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.

Lionel Messi was named FIFA's Best men's player for 2022, while Barcelona star Alexia Putellas was named the Best FIFA women's player for 2022 at a ceremony in Paris on Monday. MESSI IS THE WINNER OF THE BEST AWARD ❤️🐐 pic.twitter.com/4pJhMoVCI6 — Messi Media (@LeoMessiMedia) February 27, 2023 × On top of the world. 💫 @alexiaputellas has been crowned #TheBest FIFA Women’s Player 2022! pic.twitter.com/Wtcgg8SUmO — FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) February 27, 2023 × For Messi, it was the second time he won Best FIFA Men's Player after winning it in 2019, while Barcelona and Spain star Alexia Putellas won the award for the second consecutive year. Messi beat fellow finalists Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. Putellas won the award over Alex Morgan and Beth Mead. Messi was expected to win the award after leading Argentina to the World Cup win last year in Qatar, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's "Best Player." The 35-year-old and a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner succeeds Robert Lewandowski on the FIFA honour list. This award recognises a year in which the former Barcelona star crowned his glorious career by scoring twice in an epic final in Doha where Argentina beat France on penalties despite Mbappe netting a hat-trick for Les Bleus in a remarkable 3-3 draw. While the 29-year-old led Barcelona to a domestic treble in 2021-2022 before tearing her ACL on the eve of Spain's Euro 2022 campaign. She beat England's European Championship-winning striker Beth Mead and US Star Alex Morgan to add the Fifa crown to the Ballon d'Or despite spending the last second half of 2022 in a serious knee injury. Prior to her injury, she had scored 11 goals on Barcelona's run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon. This honour was initially inaugurated in 2016 by FIFA after football's governing body split from Ballon d'Or organisers France Football. This award is voted for by national team coaches and captains, journalists and fans. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas win 2022 FIFA 'Best Player' awards

<p>On Monday (January 17), the Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 were held. The sixth edition of the Best FIFA Football Awards took place at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Polish player Robert Lewandowski walked past Lionel Messi, Mohammed Salah and the likes to be crowned the The Best Men's player 2021. For the unversed, Lewandowski had brought an end to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's dominance to win the same award last time around as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lewandowski has been on a roll in the last few years.&nbsp;Last season in the Bundesliga, the 33-year-old Polish captain had broken the legendary Gerd Mueller's record by scoring 41 goals in a single campaign. In the last calendar year, Lewandowski scored a staggering 69 goals for club and country. With him winning the top award for the second time, Lewandowski has also come at par with Ronaldo (also having two such top honours under his belt).&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is to be noted that Lewandowski had lost the&nbsp;Ballon d'Or 2021, however, he has a lot to cherish for with his latest triumph, beating some tough competitors in the process.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/burnley-ask-premier-league-to-postpone-their-game-against-watford-445510">Burnley ask Premier League to postpone their game against Watford</a></strong></p>

<p>The Bayern Munich forward Lewandowski finished at the top&nbsp;courtesy most number of votes. On the other hand,&nbsp; Paris Saint-Germain's current forward Messi finished second, followed by Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah.</p>

<p>Talking about the women's category, Barcelona superstar Alexia Putellas emerged at the top. Putellas has been having&nbsp;a dream run, having already won the Ballon d'Or 2021 earlier.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-doing-all-they-can-to-help-misfiring-romelu-lukaku-says-thomas-tuchel-445526"><strong>Chelsea doing all they can to help misfiring Romelu Lukaku, says Thomas Tuchel</strong></a></p>

<p>The award ceremony is organised by the apex football governing body, i.e.&nbsp;(Fédération Internationale de Football Association) FIFA. Though the Ballon d'Or award ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony went ahead virtually.</p>

<p>On the occasion, the FIFPro World XI was also announced:</p>

<p><strong>Goalkeeper:</strong>&nbsp;<em>Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain)</em></p>

<p><strong>Defenders:</strong>&nbsp;<em>David Alaba (FC Bayern München/Real Madrid CF), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus FC) and Rúben Dias (Manchester City FC)</em></p>

<p><strong>Midfielders:</strong>&nbsp;<em>Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City FC), Jorginho (Chelsea FC) and N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea FC)&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><strong>Forwards:</strong>&nbsp;<em>Ronaldo (Juventus FC/Manchester United FC), Erling Haaland (BV Borussia 09 Dortmund), Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) and Messi (FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain)</em></p>


On Monday (January 17), the Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 were held. The sixth edition of the Best FIFA Football Awards took place at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

On Monday (January 17), the Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 were held. The sixth edition of the Best FIFA Football Awards took place at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Polish player Robert Lewandowski walked past Lionel Messi, Mohammed Salah and the likes to be crowned the The Best Men's player 2021. For the unversed, Lewandowski had brought an end to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's dominance to win the same award last time around as well. Lewandowski has been on a roll in the last few years. Last season in the Bundesliga, the 33-year-old Polish captain had broken the legendary Gerd Mueller's record by scoring 41 goals in a single campaign. In the last calendar year, Lewandowski scored a staggering 69 goals for club and country. With him winning the top award for the second time, Lewandowski has also come at par with Ronaldo (also having two such top honours under his belt). It is to be noted that Lewandowski had lost the Ballon d'Or 2021, however, he has a lot to cherish for with his latest triumph, beating some tough competitors in the process. ALSO READ | Burnley ask Premier League to postpone their game against Watford The Bayern Munich forward Lewandowski finished at the top courtesy most number of votes. On the other hand, Paris Saint-Germain's current forward Messi finished second, followed by Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah. Talking about the women's category, Barcelona superstar Alexia Putellas emerged at the top. Putellas has been having a dream run, having already won the Ballon d'Or 2021 earlier. ALSO READ | Chelsea doing all they can to help misfiring Romelu Lukaku, says Thomas Tuchel The award ceremony is organised by the apex football governing body, i.e. (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) FIFA. Though the Ballon d'Or award ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony went ahead virtually. On the occasion, the FIFPro World XI was also announced: Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain) Defenders: David Alaba (FC Bayern München/Real Madrid CF), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus FC) and Rúben Dias (Manchester City FC) Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City FC), Jorginho (Chelsea FC) and N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea FC) Forwards: Ronaldo (Juventus FC/Manchester United FC), Erling Haaland (BV Borussia 09 Dortmund), Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) and Messi (FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain)

FIFA Best Men's player 2021: Robert Lewandowski edges past Lionel Messi to walk away with top honour

<p>The 2018 FIFA The Best Awards event saw worthy footballers being rewarded for their efforts in the year under review, in London.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The biggest winner on the night was Luka Modric, who was voted 'Player of the Year' after beating off competition from Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.</p>

<p>The Real Madrid star deserved the award, having played a key role in Los Blancos’ run to Champions League glory, as well as Croatia’s surge to the final of the World Cup.</p>

<p>However, one other thing that has got the world talking is the fact that Lionel Messi voted for rival Cristiano Ronaldo in his three-man list for the FIFA Best Player award.</p>

<p>After the votes of each player were made public by FIFA, Twitter went berserk with some praising Messi for his genuine vote while some labelling his decision a stunt to stay in news.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When Lionel Messi voted for Cristiano Ronaldo but Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't voted for him.<br />
Messi :<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAFootballAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAFootballAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/f5Xk3BOCSA">pic.twitter.com/f5Xk3BOCSA</a></p>
— Abiodun Ajide (@AbiodunLV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AbiodunLV/status/1044353228857470976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Messi fans trying to bring out character because Messi voted for Ronaldo and Ronaldo didn’t vote for Messi. It’s really not our fault Messi and Ronaldo both know the facts.</p>
— KB9 (@IconicCristiano) <a href="https://twitter.com/IconicCristiano/status/1044335613196062720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The reason Messi's Votes stands out to people is that he put his Differences with Ronaldo aside and Voted for him.<br />
<br />
Now that shows how much respect and Love Messi has for the game. You can't love soccer and hate /dislike Messi</p>
— Blvck_Divergent (@SkylaGrey1) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkylaGrey1/status/1044518017651142656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For the first time in my life I must admit my admiration for Lionel Messi in the FIFA Awards.<br />
<br />
Messi wasn't part of the Top Three Nominees but he voted for Cristiano Ronaldo in the Top Three ranks.<br />
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Cristiano... <a href="https://t.co/uAWiwOF6ba">https://t.co/uAWiwOF6ba</a></p>
— El Akyereko Jefazo😉 (@AkwasiAkyereko) <a href="https://twitter.com/AkwasiAkyereko/status/1044487650307117057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They never voted for eachother before and Messi knew Ronaldo wouldn't vote for him so he did it on purpose to make headlines. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/besmart?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#besmart</a></p>
— TheRonaldoBible (@TheRonaldoBible) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRonaldoBible/status/1044342496002805760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Argentina star voted Modric first, picked Kylian Mbappe second and put Ronaldo third on his list, to the surprise of many.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ronaldo, however, did not vote for Messi in his top three candidates for the award. The Portuguese opted for Raphael Verane, Modric and Antoine Griezmann in that order.&nbsp;</p>


The 2018 FIFA The Best Awards event saw worthy footballers being rewarded for their efforts in the year under review, in London. The biggest winner on the night was Luka Modric, who was voted 'Player of the Year' after beating off competition from Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.

The 2018 FIFA The Best Awards event saw worthy footballers being rewarded for their efforts in the year under review, in London. The biggest winner on the night was Luka Modric, who was voted 'Player of the Year' after beating off competition from Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah. The Real Madrid star deserved the award, having played a key role in Los Blancos’ run to Champions League glory, as well as Croatia’s surge to the final of the World Cup. However, one other thing that has got the world talking is the fact that Lionel Messi voted for rival Cristiano Ronaldo in his three-man list for the FIFA Best Player award. After the votes of each player were made public by FIFA, Twitter went berserk with some praising Messi for his genuine vote while some labelling his decision a stunt to stay in news. When Lionel Messi voted for Cristiano Ronaldo but Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't voted for him. Messi :#FIFAFootballAwards pic.twitter.com/f5Xk3BOCSA — Abiodun Ajide (@AbiodunLV) September 24, 2018 × Messi fans trying to bring out character because Messi voted for Ronaldo and Ronaldo didn’t vote for Messi. It’s really not our fault Messi and Ronaldo both know the facts. — KB9 (@IconicCristiano) September 24, 2018 × The reason Messi's Votes stands out to people is that he put his Differences with Ronaldo aside and Voted for him. Now that shows how much respect and Love Messi has for the game. You can't love soccer and hate /dislike Messi — Blvck_Divergent (@SkylaGrey1) September 25, 2018 × For the first time in my life I must admit my admiration for Lionel Messi in the FIFA Awards. Messi wasn't part of the Top Three Nominees but he voted for Cristiano Ronaldo in the Top Three ranks. Cristiano... https://t.co/uAWiwOF6ba — El Akyereko Jefazo😉 (@AkwasiAkyereko) September 25, 2018 × They never voted for eachother before and Messi knew Ronaldo wouldn't vote for him so he did it on purpose to make headlines. #besmart — TheRonaldoBible (@TheRonaldoBible) September 24, 2018 × The Argentina star voted Modric first, picked Kylian Mbappe second and put Ronaldo third on his list, to the surprise of many. Ronaldo, however, did not vote for Messi in his top three candidates for the award. The Portuguese opted for Raphael Verane, Modric and Antoine Griezmann in that order.

Lionel Messi voted for Ronaldo at FIFA Best Awards, Twitter goes berserk

Modric ends Ronaldo-Messi era to be crowned world's best football player