メッシがＦＩＦＡ年間最優秀選手賞に選出、エムバペら抑える

【パリ（フランス）ＡＦＰ＝時事】国際サッカー連盟（ＦＩＦＡ）の年間表彰式「ザ・ベスト・ＦＩＦＡフットボールアウォーズ」が２７日、フランス・パリで開催され、Ｗ杯カタール大会で悲願の優勝を果たしたアルゼンチン代表のリオネル・メッシが、男子の年間最優秀選手賞に選出された。（写真はアルゼンチン代表のリオネル・メッシ）
　フランス・リーグ１のパリ・サンジェルマンでプレーするメッシは、クラブのチームメートで、Ｗ杯決勝で激突したフランス代表のキリアン・エムバペと、２０２２年のバロンドールに輝いたカリム・ベンゼマを抑えての選出となった。
　メッシの受賞は、仏サッカー専門誌「フランス・フットボール」が選ぶバロンドールとＦＩＦＡの表彰が二つに分かれた２０１６年以降、これが二度目となる。
　エムバペと妻のアントネラさんに挟まれて会場に座っていたメッシは、スピーチの際に受賞の後押しとなったＷ杯について言及し、「一生懸命に取り組んできた夢をかなえることがきて、自分にとってはとにかく信じられない一年になった。ようやくその夢をつかみ、自分のキャリアで最も素晴らしいことが起きた」と喜んだ。
　「あれ（Ｗ杯優勝）はサッカー選手全員の夢だが、実現できる者はごくわずかだ」
　一方、女子の年間最優秀選手賞には、昨季後半はけがで戦列を離れていたにもかかわらず、スペイン代表のアレクシア・プテラスが２年連続で選出された。
　通算２度のバロンドール選出も誇るプテラスは、女子の欧州選手権で優勝したイングランド代表のＦＷベス・ミードと、米国代表のアレックス・モーガンを抑えての受賞となった。
　その他男子部門では、アルゼンチン代表をＷ杯制覇に導いたリオネル・スカローニ監督が年間最優秀監督賞、同国代表のＧＫエミリアーノ・マルティネスが年間最優秀ＧＫ賞に選出された。
　年間最優秀ゴールに贈られるＦＩＦＡプスカシュ賞には、ポーランドの片脚の選手マルチン・オレクシーが選ばれた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/02/28-13:51）

Lionel Messi won The Best FIFA men's player prize for 2022 on Monday on the back of his World Cup triumph with Argentina and Spain's Alexia Putellas retained the women's award at a ceremony in Paris.
Messi beat his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, and World Cup final rival, Kylian Mbappe to the men's gong with Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema having been the other contender to claim the prize.
It is the second time that Messi has won the honour inaugurated by FIFA in 2016 after football's world governing body split from Ballon d'Or organisers France Football.
The award, which is voted for by national team coaches and captains, journalists and also fans, recognises a year in which the former Barcelona star crowned his glorious career by leading Argentina to victory at the World Cup.
Messi scored twice in an epic final in Doha as Argentina beat France on penalties despite Mbappe netting a hat-trick for Les Bleus in a remarkable 3-3 draw.
He also claimed the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, although Mbappe was the top scorer with eight goals, one more than Messi.
This year was just mad for me, to be able to achieve my dream that I had fought so hard for. In the end I got it and it was the most beautiful thing that has happened in my career, Messi said of his World Cup win as he collected his award.
It is a dream for every footballer but something that very few can make come true, added Messi, who was sat in the Paris theatre in between Mbappe and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo.
He took the prize just 24 hours after combining with Mbappe to lead PSG to a 3-0 win against Marseille in Ligue 1.
- Putellas pips Mead and Morgan -
The 35-year-old, a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, succeeds Polish star Robert Lewandowski on the FIFA honours list, while Putellas retained the women's prize despite spending the second half of last year out injured.
The 29-year-old beat England's European Championship-winning striker Beth Mead and United States star Alex Morgan to add the FIFA crown to the Ballon d'Or, which she has also won two years running.
Putellas is currently recovering from a serious knee injury suffered last July which ruled her out of the Euro in England with Spain.
Prior to that she had scored 11 goals on Barcelona's run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon.
Putellas has previously said she hopes to return from injury in time to play again this season, but it remains to be seen whether she will feature for Spain at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
Argentina's World Cup win in Qatar was also recognised as Lionel Scaloni claimed the men's coach's honour and Emiliano Martinez was named the best male goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, England's European Championship victory helped their Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman win the prize for best women's coach, while Mary Earps was named the women's goalkeeper of the year.
Polish amputee player Marcin Oleksy took the Puskas Award for best goal, named after Hungary great Ferenc Puskas.