Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas honored as best men's and women's football players

18.03.2023 - 23:21 edition.cnn.com

By George Ramsay, CNNUpdated 1607 GMT (0007 HKT) February 28, 2023 Messi was named the Best FIFA Men's Player for the second time.(CNN)Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas were crowned the best players in men's and women's football at FIFA's annual awards ceremony in Paris on Monday.

Messi, who guided Argentina to World Cup glory at the end of last year, was honored as the Best FIFA Men's Player for the second time in the award's current format, while Spanish midfielder Putellas was named Best FIFA Women's Player for the second year running.

National team coaches and captains, as well as a worldwide panel of journalists and supporters, vote on the awards each year.

Argentine tattooists swamped by demand for Messi tributesThe 35-year-old Messi finished ahead of Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema in the voting for the men's award.«I achieved a dream I had been hoping for so long,» said Messi, reflecting on Argentina's World Cup win. «It's a dream for any player, very few people can achieve that and I was lucky enough to do so.»Read MoreIn the World Cup final, Messi scored twice as Argentina and France played out a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra time before Argentina triumphed on penalties.

Football FIFA Barcelona as Lionel Messi Alexia Putellas Karim Benzema Kylian Mbappe France Spain Argentina Paris

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