FIFA The Best 2022 awards results: Lewandowski conquers Messi and Salah, Ronaldo wins special award
On Monday, FIFA’s The Best awards were presented at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, capping off the football awards season.
Other major awards, such as the Ballon d’Or, the Globe Soccer awards, and the UEFA player awards, have all occurred in recent months.
The men’s and women’s Player of the Year awards were presented to Robert Lewandowski and Alexia Putellas, respectively, as well as the top coaches (Thomas Tuchel and Emma Hayes), best goalkeepers (Edouard Mendy and Christiane Endler), and most spectacular goal (Erik Lamela).
In addition, the FIFPro Best XI for men and women were revealed (full squads below).
After missing out on the Ballon d’Or to Lionel Messi and the Globe Soccer Award to Kylian Mbappe, Lewandowski finally received recognition for his outstanding 2021 campaign. It was a clean sweep of all the major awards for Barcelona’s Putellas.
Lewandowski had a better chance of winning this award because the main FIFA awards are decided by: 1) current national team coaches; 2) current captains of all national teams; 3) one specialist journalist from each territory; and 4) FIFA.com fans.
Each of the four vote groups carries the same weight (25 percent each).
The voting rules for the Puskas Award for the best goal in the world, the Fair Play Award, and the Fan Award were all different.
Christine Sinclair, the world’s all-time leading international goal scorer, was honored with the FIFA Lifetime Achievement Award at the start of the event.
The event concluded with Cristiano Ronaldo receiving a special award for being the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football.
FIFA Player of the Year (Men’s)
Winner: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich / Poland)
After missing out on the Ballon d’Or (Lionel Messi) and the Globe Soccer award (Kylian Mbappe) for the title of best player of the year, Robert Lewandowski took home the trophy.
“I’m very honored to win this trophy,” he said via video conference. “I feel very proud and I feel happiness because this trophy also belongs to my teammates and coaches. We all work hard to winning the games and winning the trophies. It makes it special to work with all the guys around me.”
FIFA Player of the Year (Women’s)
Winner: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona / Spain)
Alexia Putellas has already won the Ballon d’Or, Globe Soccer Player of the Year, and UEFA Women’s Player of the Year awards.
FIFPro World XI
The players voted on the season’s Best XI for both men and women. Surprisingly, Alexia Putellas was not named as a midfielder for the women’s team, and no Barcelona players were named.
FIFPro Women’s XI
Goalkeeper: Christiane Endler (Lyon / Chile)
Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Man City / England), Wendie Renard (Lyon / France), Millie Bright (Chelsea / England), Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea / Sweden)
Midfielders (3): Estefania Banini (Atletico Madrid / Argentina), Carli Lloyd (USA), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus / Italy)
Forwards (3): Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal / Netherlands), Marta (Orlando Pride / Brazil), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave / USA)
With four forwards named, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were named to the men’s Best XI. When it comes to Best XI sides, this formation is truly unprecedented.
FIFPro Men’s XI
Goalkeeper (1): Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG / Italy)
Defenders (3): David Alaba (Real Madrid / Austria), Ruben Dias (Man City / Portugal), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus / Italy)
Midfielders (3): Jorginho (Chelsea / Italy), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea / France), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City / Belgium)
Forwards (4): Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United / Portugal), Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund / Norway), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich / Poland), Lionel Messi (PSG / Argentina)
FIFA Puskas Award
Winner: Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur / currently Sevilla FC)
Argentina attacker Erik Lamela’s rabona goal won the prestigious Puskas Award for the best goal scored anywhere in the world in 2021.
The Puskas Award has been given for the most “aesthetically pleasing goal, regardless of competition” and “without the result of luck or a mistake” since 2009.
It is named after the Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskas, who was known for his spectacular goals while playing for Real Madrid.
“In that moment I didn’t think too much about it,” Lamela said via video conference. “I never practice this shot during training. It’s something that normally comes in one second, finding the best way to shoot the ball.”
An expert panel compiled a list of 11 candidates, and the winner was chosen by FIFA legends and fans worldwide via FIFA.com. Votes from both groups (legends and fans) were weighted equally: 50% each.
FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year (Men’s)
Winner: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea/ Senegal)
This could be seen as an upset win for Edouard Mendy after Gigi Donnarumma won both the Yashin Trophy for goalkeeper of the year at the Ballon d’Or and the Globe Soccer top goalkeeper honor.
Donnarumma stood on his head as Italy won Euro 2021.
Mendy previously captured Europe’s UEFA Champions League goalkeeper of the season honor for helping Chelsea win the continental club title.
FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year (Women’s)
Winner: Christiane Endler (Olympique Lyon / Chile)
Christiane Endler won the award for the first time in three tries, defeating Canada’s Stephanie Labbe, who was instrumental in Canada’s Olympic gold medal victory.
“I’m the first one in Latin America to win this prize and it’s an honor for me,” Endler said. “It’s the third time I’m here. I was awaiting all the time to win it, and finally it’s the right time. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I cannot be more proud.”
Because there was no Goalkeeper of the Year award for women at the Ballon d’Or or Globe Soccer awards in Dubai, this will be the primary global recognition for 2021.
Sandra Panos of Barcelona won the UEFA Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for European football despite not being a finalist for the FIFA award.
FIFA Coach of the Year (Men’s)
Winner: Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel won the FIFA The Best award after winning the UEFA men’s coach of the year award in Europe. Chelsea coaches made a clean sweep after Chelsea women’s coach Emma Hayes won the women’s award.
Roberto Mancini of Italy previously won the Globe Soccer men’s coach award, leaving Pep Guardiola of Manchester City out in the cold during award season.
“It was a normal day so far. I’ve just come from training because we have a game tomorrow,” Tuchel said via video conference. “But you [Arsene Wenger] opened the envelope and said my name which is pretty surreal. I’m overwhelmed and I feel uncomfortable, actually.
“We lost a bit track to Manchester City in the [Premier] league, but in other competitions we follow our goals still, and we try to be the best versions of ourselves and try to perform at the highest level.”
FIFA Coach of the Year (Women’s)
Winner: Emma Hayes (Chelsea)
This was thought to be a formality after Lluis Cortes won three major trophies with FC Barcelona in the 2021 season, as well as UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year.
Chelsea coach Emma Hayes, on the other hand, received the award and was left speechless by the news
“Wow. Honest, I’m not usually stunned, but I am. I’m completely shocked,” Hayes said on a video conference. “I put it down to the players and the fantastic people that represent my work. And ultimately, the coach is only as good as the people around them and I’ve got briliant people at Chelsea that have helped support the team to get to where we’re at. I’m abosluitely shocked right now.”
FIFA Fan Award
Winner: Denmark and Finland fans
This FIFA award, which has been around since 2016, recognizes fans for an exceptional moment or gesture. The fans chose this honor for themselves. The three finalists were as follows:
Denmark and Finland fans at Parken Stadium: For their outpourings of support in the aftermath of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at Euro 2021.
German football supporters: Following devastating floods that claimed more than 170 lives, supporters groups across Germany mobilized to assist local communities. Fans from Borussia Dortmund and FC Koln were among those who stepped forward to collect money and other donations.
Imogen Papworth-Heidel: The 11-year-old girl who devised a keepy-uppy challenge to raise funds for essential workers in the United Kingdom during the pandemic. She completed over a million of them on her own.
FIFA Fair Play Award
Winner: Denmark national team (players and staff)
It was a foregone conclusion that Denmark’s national team would win this award. “I think this award is for the whole of Denmark, which was standing shoulder by shoulder and standing by us as a team.”
🏆 🇩🇰 Denmark National Team, Danish Medical Team and Staff have won the FIFA Fair Play 2021 Award
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) January 17, 2022
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/LcgCaTcxwp
This award is given out each year to recognize acts of sportsmanship, fairness, and other good deeds in the sport. The following is a list of the finalists:
Scott Brown: The Aberdeen player/coach was a Celtic player when, before a rivalry game against Rangers, he went out of his way to shake Glen Kamara’s hand in the aftermath of a racist incident Kamara had in European competition.
Denmark national team (players and staff):
The Danish men’s team is up for the award for their collective reaction to Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest during Euro 2021.
Claudio Ranieri: The current Watford coach is a candidate for having his Sampdoria team give Inter Milan the guard of honor in recognition of their clinching the Italian Serie A title.
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FIFA The Best 2022 awards results: Lewandowski conquers Messi and Salah, Ronaldo wins special award
