:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/E4MXX2N2B5HXTLMTISOD5ROBBM "The pearls of Lionel Messi’s speech after winning The Best award for the best player in the world: the ovation that made him nervous and the tender message to his children")
Lionel Messi he ended up with the first prize at the gala of The best: just as the Spaniard Alexia Putellas won the award for the best player in the world in 2022, the champion with the Argentina team in Qatar was recognized in the men’s branch for the second time in his career (the previous one, in 2019) and equaled Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski in several statuettes during the ceremony organized by FIFA. He was Gianni Infantino, head of the entity that governs football on the planet, which awarded him the prize. And the 35-year-old from Rosario was the most acclaimed of the evening.
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“Bono”came to pronounce and a standing ovation did not let him speak. “They make me nervous”, reacted. And he spoke of the honor of having shared “with Kylian (Mbappé), who had a great year” and Karim Benzema the shortlist. “I want to thank my teammates. With Scaloni, Dibu, we represent them. Without them, we wouldn’t be here today. It is part of them, a recognition to the whole group for what we have done“, he prefaced.
“This year has been crazy for me, I was able to realize my dream after so much fighting, research, insistence. In the end it happened and it is the best thing that has happened to me in my career. For any player, there are very few who can achieve this and thank God it happened”he continued, and drew another round of applause from the audience full of sports legends.
* Part of the star’s address
Argentina won The Best awards: Messi was chosen as the best player in the world and Dibu Martínez and Scaloni were also awarded
The world champions were decorated by FIFA during the gala. Additionally, Argentina fans have been named the most outstanding of 2022
“Obviously I want to thank my family, the Argentine people, for experiencing it in a special way and it will be in our memories for life. A big kiss to my sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro who are watching, go to sleep now. THANKS“, he concluded with humor. It’s that his wife accompanied him Antonela Roccuzzo and the little ones, unlike other galas, followed him this time from his Parisian home.
La Pulga was the last of the nominees to arrive at the gala and the one that raised the most expectations. He sat next to Mbappé, his rival for the scepter and team-mate at PSG, and they showed complicity, as on the field of play, which was seen in Sunday’s victory over the Olympique de Marseille, where he scored a goal and delivered two assists. He first took the stage as a member of the ideal 11. And then for his big moment.
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“It had been two years since I had come to this gala. Very happy with how everything went. I had my dream. The prize that every player wants, because it is the most important. I had already succeeded in everything, but it was the only one I lacked. It was very special. I was nervous when it was my turn to go up. It was imposing to be there, but it is very pleasant. I liked seeing other former players like Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. Although I don’t have a relationship with them, every time we see each other they show me a lot of affection, ”he confided later, already on the Green Carpet.
“I really want to find the Argentine people. I never imagined the madness they did after winning the World Cup and the Copa América. Surely it will still be something beautiful,” he anticipated the friendly matches of March 23 and 28 against Panama and Curaçao on the FIFA date; the first, at the Monumental, the next, inside (with the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium as a candidate to host it).
“It’s already been many years in my career and ending like this is ideal. I have all the trophies that can be played. And I enjoyed every moment, “he enjoyed his showcase in front of the microphones of the FIFA, in another milestone of his spectacular career.
“For me it was my last World Cup and I wanted to make the most of it with the people, who filled all the stadiums for the seven games,” he said. Was this your last World Cup? Or will 2026 appear on the horizon?
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