Lionel Messi collected another individual award in the FIFA awards in the attendance of some of the best players in the world and the best managers also.
This award comes immediately after the World Cup trophy, the most important trophy that the Argentinian has won and the one that made him part of history as one the best players ever played football. He beats his friend Mbappe and Karim Benzema, who did not play in the World Cup but made an exceptional season with Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and scoring decisive goals for Los Blancos.
Many football fans have praised the Argentinian efforts in the national team and said that Messi is the most successful player that played with Argentina, on the same level as Maradona and among the best in the history of this sport.
There are also some critics not for the performance of Messi who despite his age was at the highest levels, performing outstandingly in all World Cup matches and leading Argentina to glory.
But if we take a look and compare the stats with the other two candidates, probably will notice the generosity of the voters and maybe start asking questions. Are FIFA competitions less competitive, when an individual wins so many awards?
Playing at the highest level means the competition is high and the players give absolutely their best to win in every final. Is there any regret for the second or the third place if they don’t collect an individual award? The simple answer is yes.
We can have more demotivated players especially when the race is decided by the details and by the subjective point of view of the journalists, coaches, and national teams’ captains who made the selections. Let’s take a quick look at the stats of the candidates so you can create a full picture
Messi’s Stats
Lionel Messi scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists in 34 appearances for PSG last season. He played 2781 minutes with an average scoring of 261 minutes per goal.
With Argentina in the World Cup, he was the shining star as he scored in the opening game against Saudi Arabia. Messi also scored the decisive goal against Mexico in the second match and opened the road to qualification in the knockout stage for his national team. Another goal against Australia in the 1/16 knockout stage qualified Argentina for the quarterfinals.
The opponent Netherlands was everything, but easy but yet another time Messi managed to score and led Argentina to the semis. Messi scored in the semifinal against Croatia and in the final against France, a brace that sent the match to a penalty shootout and secured him the World Cup 2022 trophy.
Messi was decisive for his national team and this may have affected the decision to give him the FIFA Best Player Award.
Benzema was outstanding for Real Madrid
If it would not have been for the famous injury that was left out of the World Cup, Karim Benzema certainly would have been the main favorite to win this award. His performances with Real Madrid in the last season of the UEFA Champions League made him not only win the competition but also create a striker profile that made him unstoppable for any defense.
Benzema was the top scorer for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League with 15 goals and the main striker that secured Real another Champions League Trophy, the fifth in his career.
Benzema didn’t score only against Inter Milan in the Uefa Champions League group stages, scoring in other matches against Sheriff Tirasspol and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Benzema was the best player for Real Madrid in the knockout stage scoring a hat trick against PSG and Chelsea, scoring a brace in the semi-final against Manchester City, and being the best player for Real Madrid the whole tournament.
Unfortunately, his exceptional season didn’t continue with France, reducing his chances to win another individual award after the Ballon d’Or.
Mbappe was the best goalscorer of FIFA World Cup 2022
His eight goals 31 attempts in goal and a productive play that terrified every opponent are enough to win a FIFA best player award. Mbappe was not even a player in the FIFA World Cup, beaten by his teammate Messi and leaving doubts about the credits that this player gets for his performances.
He scored three times in the FIFA World Cup final, being the first player that score three in the last match of the competition.
Mbappe scored against Australia and a double against Denmark. He scored twice in the match with Poland and was the best player. This match was one of France’s best matches in this tournament in terms of intensity, aggressivity, and attacking chances.
Mbappe is one of the most confirmed best athletes in the world and is expected to keep that status of the best player in the world in the upcoming years, together with Halaand.
Final Decision
Well, quality, determination, and productivity in the field make an athlete the best. Is Lionel Messi the best player and the one who has fulfilled these criteria over Mbappe and Benzema? The simple answer is it depends.
It depends on how experts and those with the power to vote to see the outcome of the season.
Probably the best outcome is to increase the competition at these levels by promoting youth and evaluating the performances, not in the big names that players have but the performances and the goals. Yes, each award is based on the team’s achievement, but do not forget the values that individuals bring to the game. Furthermore, the difficulty that the players have to produce brilliance. This one goes for Messi, but at this age, he is monopolizing the world of football, through name, merit, and sometimes the adornment he gets from his colleagues in the football world.
Football is all about stats and performances and this is not the first time that opinions are making history, leaving behind discussions and probably creating barriers for the ones that are doing well in this sport.
History will tell, if this award tells the whole tale or if the ones left in the shadow will shine in upcoming seasons.
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