Messi, Mbappe, Casemiro shine at FIFA Awards: Best players, best coaches and best fan awarded

After steering Argentina to World Cup glory in an epic final against Kylian Mbappé’s France last year in Qatar, Lionel Messi won the best player vote against Mbappé and Karim Benzema and secured the FIFA prize for the seventh time in 14 years.

“It was a crazy year for me,” Messi said. “I could fulfil my (World Cup) dream after fighting for it for so long. And in the end it happened, and it was the most beautiful thing of my career. It’s the dream of every player, but very few can achieve it, so I’m thankful to God for being able to do it.”

The 35-year-old Messi also beat Mbappé — who was seeking his first best player award from FIFA — to the Golden Ball trophy awarded by FIFA for the World Cup’s best player. Mbappé earned the Golden Boot as top scorer. In the FIFA Awards vote, Messi had 52 points, Mbappé 44, and Benzema 34.

Argentina's Lionel Messi poses with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo on the green carpet before the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

Messi broke a record he shared with Ronaldo by making the men's world best XI for the 16th time.

Barcelona playmaker Putellas made the top three again despite being injured days before the Euro and missing the tournament. She scored 34 goals across all competitions last season.

Mbappé [L], 11 years younger than Messi at 24 and considered Messi's heir apparent on the world stage, made the three-man shortlist for the first time. He was fourth in voting for the 2018 award, the year he led France to the World Cup title.

FIFA World 11 team included Messi, Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Portugal’s João Cancelo, Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, Belgium’s Kevin de Bruyne, Croatia’s Luka Modric, Brazil’s Casemiro, Norway's Erling Haaland and France’s Mbappé and Benzema.

The FIFA World 11 Achraf Hakimi, Casemiro and Joao Cancelo at the Best FIFA Football Awards.

The FIFA Women´s World 11 Christiane Endler, Lucy Bronze, Mapi Leon, Wendie Renard, Leah Williamson, Lena Oberdorf, Alexia Putellas, Keira Walsh, Sam Kerr, Beth Mead and Alex Morgan

Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni, left, receives the Best FIFA Men's Coach award from Italian coach Fabio Capello during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris

The FIFA World 11 Achraf Hakimi receives his trophy from Samantha Johnson at the Best FIFA Football Awards

England manager Sarina Wiegman receiving the Best Women's Coach award at the Best FIFA Football Awards

Carlos "Tula" Pascual receives the Fifa Fan award on behalf of the Argentinian fans during the Best FIFA Football Awards

Marcin Oleksy receiving the Puskas Award during the Best FIFA Football Awards

Manchester United's Casemiro before the Best FIFA Football Awards