[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Argentina’s Lionel Messi won the Men’s Player of the Year award, while American Megan Rapinoe, who led the US women’s team to this year’s World Cup victory, bagged the Women’s Player of the Year at the annual Best FIFA Football Awards on Monday, September 23.
It was the sixth time Messi won the award, putting him one ahead of Cristiana Ronaldo, the Portuguese star. The duo has dominated the award since 2008, with their string of victories only interrupted by Croatia’s Luka Modric last year, 2018.
“I want to thank those who gave this prize to me,” Messi said. “Even though individual awards are a secondary thing to me, it is a unique moment and it is good to celebrate it with my family and my children.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUzRSUzQ3AlMjBsYW5nJTNEJTIydW5kJTIyJTIwZGlyJTNEJTIybHRyJTIyJTNFJUYwJTlGJThGJTg2JUYwJTlGJThGJTg2JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGaGFzaHRhZyUyRlRoZUJlc3QlM0ZzcmMlM0RoYXNoJTI2YW1wJTNCcmVmX3NyYyUzRHR3c3JjJTI1NUV0ZnclMjIlM0UlMjNUaGVCZXN0JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUyMCU3QyUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRmhhc2h0YWclMkZGSUZBRm9vdGJhbGxBd2FyZHMlM0ZzcmMlM0RoYXNoJTI2YW1wJTNCcmVmX3NyYyUzRHR3c3JjJTI1NUV0ZnclMjIlM0UlMjNGSUZBRm9vdGJhbGxBd2FyZHMlM0MlMkZhJTNFJTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnQuY28lMkZjTnhidTNkTVgzJTIyJTNFcGljLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGY054YnUzZE1YMyUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0MlMkZwJTNFJTI2bWRhc2glM0IlMjAlMjNUaGVCZXN0JTIwJUYwJTlGJThGJTg2JTIwJTI4JTQwRklGQWNvbSUyOSUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRkZJRkFjb20lMkZzdGF0dXMlMkYxMTc2MjQyOTA0MDQ3NzM4ODg4JTNGcmVmX3NyYyUzRHR3c3JjJTI1NUV0ZnclMjIlM0VTZXB0ZW1iZXIlMjAyMyUyQyUyMDIwMTklM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGYmxvY2txdW90ZSUzRSUyMCUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMGFzeW5jJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZwbGF0Zm9ybS50d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRndpZGdldHMuanMlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEE=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]US co-captain Megan Rapinoe won the women’s top award after helping her country to the World Cup title this year in a tournament considered to be a milestone in the development and expansion of women’s football internationally.
In her award-winning speech, she spoke her mind and picked up relevant issues to address once again, asking everyone to act on the things that really matter.
“I’m at a loss for words,” she said. “This was an incredible year for women’s football, for those who just noticed you are a bit late to the party. It truly was incredible, to be part of the World Cup, the enthusiasm we had was amazing.”
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“Some of the stories that have inspired me this year. Raheem Sterling and Koulibaly – their amazing performances on the field, but the way they have taken on the disgusting racism that they have to face. The Iranian woman who eventually set herself on fire. The LGBQT players who fight homophobia. These are the stories that inspire me but also make me sad,” she added.
“If we want change, everyone has to contribute. I want to see people other than Sterling and Koulibaly as outraged about racism. People other than LGBQT community outraged about homophobia. To all people here, lend your platform to others, lift them up, and share your success,” she said.
“We have a unique opportunity in football, different to any other sport in the world, to use this beautiful game to actually change the world for the better. So that’s my torch to everyone, I hope you take that to heart and do something, do anything. We have incredible power in this room,” Rapinoe said.
List of all the winners at FIFA’s The Best Awards ceremony 2019:
Best men’s player: Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona)
Best women’s player: Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC)
Best men’s goalkeeper: Alisson Becker (BRA/Liverpool)
Best women’s goalkeeper: Sari van Veenendaal (NED/Atletico Madrid)
Men’s World 11 team of year: Alisson Becker (BRA/Liverpool); Sergio Ramos (ESP/Real Madrid), Virgil Van Dijk (NED/Liverpool), Matthijs De Ligt (NED/Juventus), Marcelo (BRA/Real Madrid); Luka Modric (CRO/Real Madrid), Frenkie De Jong (NED/Barcelona), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid); Lionel Messi (ARG/FC Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (FRA/PSG), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Juventus)
Women’s World 11 team of year: Sari Van Veenendaal (NED/Atletico Madrid); Lucy Bronze (ENG/Lyon), Wendie Renard (FRA/Lyon), Nilla Fischer (SWE/Linkopings), Kelly O’Hara (USA/Utah Royals); Amandine Henry (FRA/Lyon), Julie Ertz (USA/Chicago), Rose Lavelle (USA/Washington); Marta (BRA/Orlando), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC)
Men’s coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Women’s coach: Jill Ellis (USA)
Puskas Award best goal: Daniel Zsori (HUN/Debrecen)
Fair-play award: Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United
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