The appointment is at the Galle Pleyel in Paris this Monday.
And there is a logical and capital expectation for Argentines, now all soccer fans.
FIFA's The Best awards for the year 2022 will be awarded. And what happened on December 18 of that year, the previous one, in Doha, Qatar?
Simply the Selection was WORLD CHAMPION.
Something that is still beating on this earth with full force more than two months later.
Because, furthermore, with more seasoning, this third consecration of Argentine soccer came -according to almost unanimous opinion- in the most dramatic final in professional history.
And, of course, the members of that team, their coach and even the passionate fans (the noisy fans present) are nominated to take the recognition.
The first to receive an award -and it must indisputably be- is Lionel Messi, the team's captain -recognized for more than a decade as the "best player in the world", who at the age of 35 gave himself the last great pleasure that What was missing was to lift the World Cup.
And he adds, as a complement, having been a participant in the great Intercontinental victory in the Finalísima against Italy (3-0) between the American Champion (title achieved in and against Brazil in 2021) and the European champion, on June 1 of that glorious 2022. He was also crowned champion of the French League with PSG, his current team.
Photo: EFE/EPA/SEBASTIEN NOGIER
Of course, he competes for the award with the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, his teammate at PSG, World Cup scorer, author of France's three goals in the Qatar final and even one more in the penalty shootout.
Merits abound.
He is 24 years old and may be his successor in the future award for the "best".
But Messi was the world champion and he was second
.
The Best award was installed by FIFA -exclusively- in 2016. Before, it shared recognition with the French magazine France Football, then they dismantled the agreement and the publication continued to award its Ballon d'Or. The previous awards were won by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2016 and 2017, Modric in 2018, Messi in 2019 and Lewandowski in 2020 and 2021. To determine the candidates in The Best, captains, coaches, journalists and the public vote, divided into 25% each compartment.
Three applicants are chosen in order.
The first adds 5 points, the second two, and the third one.
The final sum defines the candidates.
Photo: AP / Manu Fernandez
The third of the nominees is the excellent center forward of Real Madrid,
Karim Benzema
, League champion with his team.
And also champion and scorer of the Champions League, a competition of enormous recognition in Europe.
Benzema was a member of the French National Team but was injured when he was in Doha and had to return to Spain to recover.
It seemed that he could reach the final stage, but DT Deschamps did not call him again.
Photo: EFE/ Cati Cladera
The second in importance is supposed to be The Best for trainers.
Logically in this trio is
Lionel Scaloni
, world champion and manager of a team that -in addition to the title- maintained an undefeated 36 games (to one of the 37, record, of Italy) that he lost in the first game of the World Cup against Arabia Arabia.
He also coached in the win over Italy in June's Finalissima.
Enough?
Photo: EFE/ Zipi
But he has a very strong rival:
Carlo Ancelotti
, DT of Real Madrid.
If it were based on his background, he would be unbeatable: he was champion in the five most important leagues in Europe: England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France;
and he is the only winner of four Champions League.
Sure, but only 2022 is computed. And here he did not lack for anything as a Madrid coach either.
He won the League and the Spanish Super Cup.
And then the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
Everything that his team played.
Photo: Ronny HARTMANN / AFP.
The fight will be hard.
The third,
Pep Guardiola
, the most renowned.
He was champion with Manchester City, like several other times since he arrived in 2016. But he was left in debt in international competitions.
Photo Gabriel Bulacio - Clarín
The third step is for the best archer.
And here is, of course,
Dibu Martínez
, responsible for the final save against Kolo Muani that could have meant the world title for France in the last moments of extra time.
But he also saved decisive penalties against the Netherlands and against France itself in the final.
In addition, he was key in specific interventions that helped the team's success.
Only some attitudes not recognized by
Fair Play
make it pale .
But his location on the list is indisputable.
Photo: EFE/EPA/PETER POWELL
He competes with the Belgian
Thibaut Courtois
who -like Ancelotti- won everything with Real Madrid.
In a fight of clubs and not of Selections.
And, of course, the blooper from the previous week in the match with Liverpool for the Champions League will not be included, which, after all, remained an anecdote because Madrid won 5-2. The third in the dispute is Yassine Bounou,
who
did a great World Cup defending the goal of Morocco and that shines in Spanish Seville.
There is a fourth heading that talks about "hobbies."
And here it is, without a doubt, the large Argentine public (from our country and from the whole world) who expressed their almost unmatched passion in the streets of Doha and in the stadiums.
He competes with the Arab Abullah Al Salmi, who walked 55 kilometers through the desert to see his National Team.
And the tidy Japanese fans who -as in other World Cups- cleaned the stands at the exit of the stadiums.
Of course, women's football is also gaining height and recognition from FIFA.
That is why the awards are similar to those of men's soccer.
The great favorite of the evening is Lionel Messi, without a doubt.
And all Argentine soccer expects other distinctions.
After all, they are personal caresses.
The great party has already been lived by all Argentines
, with their pride on fire.
And they promise to extend the celebrations for a long time.
The miracle of football is unparalleled as a social phenomenon.
look also
FIFA The Best Awards, LIVE: Messi, Scaloni, Dibu Martínez and the fans of Argentina compete in Paris today
The Argentine fans, favorite for "The Best" for "the best fans in the world": "El Tula" would receive the award at the gala
What score did L'Equipe give Messi after his great match against Marseille?
