Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski beat Lionel Messi and equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA The Best record when he won the award for a second time on Monday.
Lewandowski retained his FIFA The Best award following an incredible campaign in which he scored a Bundesliga record 41 goals, fighting off competition from Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi, the 2019 winner, failed to add to his 2021 Ballon d’Or award as he finished second, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in third place. Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women’s award.
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel beat Italy’s Roberto Mancini and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola to win the Manager of the Year award following success in the Champions League in 2021.
Chelsea and Senegal’s Edouard Mendy won the Goalkeeper of the Year award ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Manuel Neuer, while Sevilla forward Erik Lamela won the Puskas Award for his “Rabona” for Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal.
Denmark team and staff won the Fair Play award following their reaction to Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. Denmark and Finland fans also received the Best Fan award for their spontaneous unified chanting in support of Eriksen after he was taken off the pitch.
The award was first handed out in its present guise in 2016, after FIFA ended their five-year partnership with the Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo, who was given a special award for breaking the international men’s goal scoring record in 2021, won back-to-back awards in the first two years.
FIFA FIFPro Men’s World XI
Gianluigi Donnarumma – Paris Saint-Germain, Italy
David Alaba – Real Madrid, Austria
Ruben Dias – Manchester City, Portugal
Leonardo Bonucci – Juventus, Italy
Jorginho – Chelsea, Italy
N’Golo Kante – Chelsea, France
Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City, Belgium
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United, Portugal
Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund, Norway
Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich, Poland
Lionel Messi – Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina
Source: ESPN
