The FIFA Best award could go to Messi, Mbappe, or Benzema.

PARIS: On Monday, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, both of whom play for Paris Saint-Germain, go up against each other for The Best FIFA Men’s Player prize for 2022. Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema is also in the running.

The ceremony will take place in Paris, and Messi seems likely to win another individual award after leading Argentina to victory over Mbappe’s France in that epic match in Qatar.

Messi has won the Ballon d’Or seven times and the FIFA award once. The FIFA award was first given out in 2016 after FIFA broke up with France Football, which ran the Ballon d’Or.

Messi has been on the podium the last two years while Robert Lewandowski has won the title, but the 35-year-World old’s Cup win was the most important event of 2022.

A jury made up of the coach and captain of each men’s national team, as well as one journalist from each country, decides who wins, but fans can also vote.

Mbappe was the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966. He helped France tie the game at 3-3 after extra time, even though Messi scored twice, but they lost in a shootout.

Mbappe, who turned 24 right after the final, scored the most goals in the tournament with eight, one more than Messi, who won the Golden Ball for being the best player.

He was also PSG’s most important player in the year before the World Cup, even though Messi was also there. He led Ligue 1 in goals and was named France’s player of the year.

But what they did at the World Cup overshadows everything else.

“Messi has the best chance of winning because he won the World Cup,” admitted Ruud Gullit, who has also won the Ballon d’Or.

As a member of the Laureus Academy, Gullit was speaking in his role as a Dutchman. Mbappe and Messi were recently nominated for their own awards.

“But Mbappe is someone I really admire. I think he is the same as me. It was unbelievable that he did what he did in the final and took on that much responsibility “he added.

Putellas is up for a gong for women
After getting hurt at the World Cup, Benzema’s chances of getting another individual award went down.

Benzema was kicked off the French team for five and a half years because he was involved in a blackmail scandal involving a sextape of a former teammate. When he won the Ballon d’Or in October of last year, it was the final step in his career comeback.

Last season, the 35-year-old striker for Real Madrid scored 44 goals in 46 games, helping his team win both the Champions League and La Liga.

He has kept scoring goals so far this season.

After he won the Ballon d’Or, he said, “I am really, really proud of my journey.”

Alexia Putellas, who won the Best award last year and is the current Ballon d’Or winner, has been nominated for the women’s prize again, even though she has been out with a knee injury since July.

The other two finalists are English forward Beth Mead and US star Alex Morgan.

Lionel Scaloni of Argentina, Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid, and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City are all in the running for the men’s coach of the year award.

Sarina Wiegman is up for the women’s coach award along with Sonia Bompastor of Lyon and Pia Sundhage of Brazil. She won Euro 2022 with England.

Richarlison’s goal against Serbia at the World Cup is one of three that are up for the Puskas Award, which is given to the best goal. The award is named after the great Hungarian player Ferenc Puskas.

Dimitri Payet of Marseille and Marcin Oleksy, a Polish player who lost a leg, are also up for awards. There is also a category for the best male and female goalkeeper.