Argentine World Cup winner Lionel Messi won The Best FIFA men's player prize for 2022 on Monday with Spain's Alexia Putellas retaining the women's award at a ceremony in Paris. Lionel Messi beat his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, and World Cup final rival, Kylian Mbappe to the men's award with Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema the other contender to claim the prize. It is only the second time that Messi has won the honour inaugurated by FIFA in 2016 after football's world governing body split from Ballon d'Or organisers France Football. The award, which is voted for by national team coaches and captains, journalists and also fans, recognised a year in which Messi crowned his glorious career by leading Argentina to victory at the World Cup in Qatar.