Messi puts the Cup title to the test to assert favoritism against Benzema and Mbappé in FIFA ‘The Best’

Every award that elects the best player in the world is surrounded by controversy. After all, there are many factors taken into account for a player to be elected. Titles, goals, regular performance. It will be no different at Fifa The Best, which will announce at 5 pm today in Paris, France (SporTV and ESPN broadcast) the best of the 2021/2022 season. But one factor in particular may weigh more: the World Cup in Qatar. It is she who makes star Lionel Messi, from the Argentine national team and PSG, considered the favorite.

Messi competes for the award for the best male in the world with the French Karim Benzema, from Real Madrid, and Kylian Mbappé, from PSG. For the international press, it is the most open award since 2006, despite the favoritism for the Argentine, who took his country out of a 36-year queue without winning a World Cup — beating France in the decision. Symbolic, but something that is not necessarily decisive.

This is because it was Messi himself who helped to end the theory that being world champion is enough to be elected the best in the world, which was almost a “rule” before The Best. Romário (1994), Zidane (1998), Ronaldo (2002) and Cannavaro (2006) won the Cup and took the FIFA world award.

From 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi started to monopolize the award, and winning the Cup is no longer synonymous with being elected the best in the world. In 2010, Spain won the World Cup supported by the great performance of Xavi and Iniesta, who were even finalists for the Ballon d’Or, but Messi was chosen for his performances at Barcelona. This edition also generated controversy because, for critics, Wesley Sneijder should have kept the prize for having won the Champions League with Internazionale-ITA and being a finalist in the World Cup in South Africa.

Four years later, it was up to Germany to take the title at the World Cup in Brazil and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer appeared as the big favorite. The winner was Cristiano Ronaldo, then at Real Madrid, who also won the Champions League that year.

In the following cycle, the World Cup in Russia was won by France and Antonie Griezmann appeared as a candidate for combining his achievements with the national team with those of Atlético de Madrid. The chosen one was Luka Modric, champion of the Champions League with Real Madrid and who ended up being world runner-up.

In addition to this scenario, the current award is considered the most open for two reasons: Messi, Mbappé and Benzema have different merits to be in contention.

The Argentine has the World Cup as a differential, something that was the rule until 2006. Mbappé, however, is by far the one who had the best numbers of the season. In the evaluation period stipulated by Fifa (from August 2021 to December 2022), he wins in goals scored (77 against Benzema’s 56 and Messi’s 45), minutes to participate in a goal (65 against 77 and 80, respectively) and more games played (83 against 68 and 74). Individually, he was the best, but he lacked great achievements.

That Benzema has in spades. At Real Madrid, he performed better than Messi and Mbappé at PSG. So much so that he was voted the best in the world by France Football. However, the French magazine did not count the World Cup for its assessment. Thus, the path was easy for the star, who helped the Spanish club to win another Champions League and the Spanish Championship.

Numerically, there have not been three major candidates with a real chance of winning the award since 2006. That year, everything indicated that Zinedine Zidane would be the winner. But his expulsion in the World Cup final for attacking defender Materazzi generated a kind of boycott of his election. Then world champion, defender Fábio Cannavaro took the prize.

In addition to Zidane and Cannavaro, two other favorites to win were Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry. The Brazilian had in his favor the continental conquest with Barcelona, ​​while the Frenchman had amazing numbers at the time. They came in third and fourth place, respectively.

Since then, all disputes embraced two big names or a unanimity. Three, as in 2023, is an uncommon thing to see.

Among the women, the best in the world award will go to Beth Mead (Arsenal), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave) and Alexia Putellas (Barcelona).

The British Mead scored six goals and was the top scorer and best player at Euro 2022, leading England to the title. American Morgan scored 15 goals in 17 games for her team and was champion of Concacaf 2022 with the USA. The Spanish Putellas is the current winner of The Best, and led Barcelona to the national title and the Champions League final.

The ceremony also awards the best goalkeeper, the best goalkeeper, the best coach in men’s football, the best coach or coach in women’s football and the most beautiful goal in the Puskás Award. Brazil is represented by Richarlison, who competes with the volley goal scored against Serbia, in the 2022 World Cup. The competitors are Dimitri Payet and Marcin Oleksy.