Lionel Messi is awarded FIFA’s BEST men’s player in the world title

Lionel Messi has marked his resurgence to the top of football’s individual honours after beating French duo Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe to lift the award.

Messi – previously the winner of seven Ballon d’Or’s – claimed his second The Best title and first since 2019 after being commended his stunning exploits with Argentina.

The 35-year-old was sensational as he masterminded Argentina to the World Cup crown, scoring seven goals and becoming the first player to score in every game at the competition.

Meanwhile, Messi’s national team-mate and Aston Villa shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez claimed FIFA’s ‘The Best’ goalkeeper prize to be crowned the world’s best.

His extraordinary efforts at the World Cup saw him pull Argentina through penalty shootouts against Holland in their quarter-final clash before getting the better of France’s penalty-takers in the final.

Martinez beat Morocco’s Yassine Bounou and Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois to the award, and thanked the efforts of his parents in helping him make it to the top.

‘They always ask me who my idols are or who I watched when I was a kid…Watching my mom clean buildings 8 o for 9 hours and watching my dad work. They are my idols,’ said Martinez.

There was another national hero involved in the women’s goalkeeping awards that saw England’s Mary Earps clinch the title for his stunning exploits with the Lionesses and Manchester United.

Earps was influential in the nation’s run to winning last year’s European championships and told those in attendance at the FIFA ceremony in Paris that her success shows others the way forward.

‘I just want to say thank you so much to my loved ones who have picked me up off the kitchen floor to be here today, not specifically tonight but a few years ago,’ said Earps. 

‘For anyone who has been in a dark place, just know there is light at the end of the tunnel, so keep going. You can achieve anything that you set your mind to.

Earps’ national team coach Sarina Wiegman followed with further success as she beat Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor and Brazilian coach Pia Sundhage to be named ‘The Best’ Women’s Coach’.

Argentina’s trio of titles was topped off by Lionel Scaloni being recognised as ‘The Best’ men’s coach as the World Cup winning manager topped the polls ahead of Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid’s Champions League winning coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Scaloni was the unfavourable choice to take over as Argentina head coach before the Qatar competition given his lack of experience in working with superstars but saw his efforts reward the nation with their first World Cup since 1986.