Lionel Messi was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player for the second time for his role in helping Argentina win the World Cup.
Despite Karim Benzema’s Ballon d’Or victory, the Best FIFA Awards considered performances from the start of the 2021/22 season to the World Cup’s conclusion. Hence, Messi went into this year’s awards show as the favourite.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, the Best FIFA Awards involve fans in the voting process, “incorporating the views of the four pillars of the footballing world,” according to FIFA’s official website.
Those “four pillars” are the fans (as mentioned), the coaches of all the national teams around the world, the captains of said nations, and submissions from a select group of more than 300 media representatives.
For example, in Uganda, only Head Coach Micho Sredojević, Captain Emma Okwi, and media personality Stephen Mayamba voted.
According to the official voting results on the FIFA website, Okwi voted for Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Sadio Mane, whereas Coach Micho voted for Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane.
Mayamba voted for Lionel Messi, Sadio Mane, and Karim Benzema.