MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Messi, Dibu, Scaloni, and Argentine fans steal FIFA “The Best” show

After receiving his award, Messi sent his kids to bed

Argentina's captain Lionel Messi Monday was awarded the 2022 “The Best” award by FIFA for the second time in his career; his teammate Emiliano Dibu Martínez was picked as the best goalkeeper, coach Lionel Scaloni was the best trainer and, if that was not good enough, Argentina's fans were also deemed the best on the planet.

Messi was chosen over France's Ballon d'Or-winner Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé, who finished the top scorer of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
With this new achievement, Messi matched Poland's Robert Lewandowski, who won it in 2020 and 2021, and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who received the accolade in 2016 and 2017.

“It was crazy for me to get my dream after so much fighting, so much insisting, in the end, it came and it is the most beautiful thing that happened to me in my career, a dream for any player, few can get it and I was able to have it,” Messi said while thanking his family and “the people of Argentina who lived that beautiful moment that will remain in their memories for life”.

“I send a kiss to my children who are watching this on TV and to go to sleep now,” Messi also stressed during the ceremony in Paris which was broadcast to more than 100 countries.

The event was also attended by world football legends such as 2002 world champion Ronaldo, who dedicated a tribute to the late Pelé, almost two months after his death.

Argentina was also recognized for having the best fans in the world, summed up in the figure of Carlos Pascual (known as “Tula del Bombo”), who has never missed an international tournament involving Argentina's national team since the 1974 World Cup in West Germany.