The historical gems of The Best award: From the day Scaloni didn’t vote for Messi to Lewandowski’s controversial phrases when he won the award

The division between Soccer France and the Fifa for the gala Ballon d’Or It was a break in the history of football. Starting in 2016, the body that regulates football around the world launched The best make its own recognition of the best talents of the calendar year and this Monday the seventh edition will take place in Paris. Beyond his short life, the gala left great moments that remained in the memory of football fans and expectations for the next ceremony are in the air.

The great novelty of the 2020 edition concerned the coaches’ vote with an unexpected protagonist: Lionel Scaloni. The Argentina team coach has decided to choose the winger Sadio Maneat this time of liverpoolas first option and second to its captain, Messiwhich he has always designated as the best in the world. That year too Cristiano Ronaldo surprised the world by selecting the Argentinian for the only opportunity among their candidates with Robert Lewandowskiwho kept the prize, and Kylian Mbappe.

One of the controversies surrounding the The best It happened in early 2022 with Lionel Messi as the cradle of conflict. When the Argentinian won the Ballon d’Or, he threw a sentence for his best competitor of this edition, Lewandowski. “I want to tell Robert that it’s an honor to fight with him. I think you deserve your Ballon d’Or. Last year, everyone agreed that you were the winner. Soccer France I should give you the Ballon d’Or you deserve,” said the Argentine star. But when it comes to voting for the FIFA award in a few weeks, there For money he did not put the pole on his podium.

Far from hiding his anger, the native of Warsaw rushes into the media. “I’ve been thinking lately and came to the conclusion that the FIFA award is more important. At the Ballon d’Or, only journalists vote, there is no clear verification. Instead, football professionals and the press vote at FIFA. I voted for Messi because I appreciate what he has done this year and before. Messi said he would vote for me for the Ballon d’Or, did his views change later? I don’t know. I have nothing to complain about, he made his decision and that’s it,” Lewandowski said.

And he added about it: “Anyway, I won the prize, so it was easier for me to accept it”. Although both parties have repeatedly said that the conflict is for the moment and that it is a thing of the past, Lionel’s gesture in the match between Argentina there Poland during the World Cup in Qatar gave hints as to how the relationship went: did not shake hands with Robert when he greeted him on the field of play.

In 2022, that also meant seeing the Chilean keeper Christiane Endler is the first Latin American to win The Best 2021 award, which consolidated her as the best goalkeeper in the world. The third time was the charm: After two appointments that ended without consecration, the goalkeeper He prevailed in the elections over the German Ann-Katrin Berger, of Chelsea, and the Canadian Stephanie Lynn Marie Labbé, of the PSG. Besides, Stephanie Banini She was included in FIFA’s Ideal Team 11.

The particularity of the event which will be organized in Paris is that the footballers will be in person in the studio, unlike last year which was in virtual mode. Who had connection problems throughout the night was Lionel Messi: experienced technical problems and for a few moments your connection was interrupted. As if the internet topic wasn’t enough, the Argentinian smiled repeatedly when he persistent camera focus issues.

This Monday, the eyes of the whole sports community will be on The Best and in France we are already worried about how he will celebrate Emiliano Martinez In case of being selected the best goalkeeper of the year: Will the groin prize be won like in the Copa America and the World Cup? What is certain is that the ceremony will leave new scenes that will go down in history.

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