Bayern Munich and Poland’s player, Robert Lewandowski beat Lionel Messi and Mohammed Salah to clinch The Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year 2021.
Similarly, Barcelona and Spain’s Alexia Putellas beat her teammate, Jenni Hermoso and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr to win The Best FIFA Women’s Player of Year 2021. Alexia had late last year won the 2021 Balon d’Or.
Also at the 6th edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards which took place on Monday night, 17th January 2022 in Zurich, Switzerland, other most outstanding members of the football world were honoured.
Interestingly, it was a great night for Chelsea coaches in the male and female categories as Thomas Tuchel won the The Best FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year while Emma Hayes won The Best Women’s Coach of the Year after leading Chelsea to the domestic treble.
Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy won the GoalKeeper of the Year.
In the Women’s category, Christiane Endler of Chile and Lyon emerged The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper for 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo was also honoured by FIFA for becoming the all-time leading goalscorer at the international level, with 115 goals for Portugal, breaking Ali Daei’s previous record of 109.
He was also named in the FIFPRO Men’s World11 for 2021.
“It’s a dream. First of all, I have to say thank you to my teammates, especially in the national team during the last 20 years that I used to play with. I never thought of beating that record,” Ronaldo said.
“I have to say thank you to my family, my wife, my kids – soon I will be a father again! I’m really proud, it’s a great achievement to be the top scorer of all time.”
Asked how he is maintaining his fine goalscoring form at the age of 36,he insisted that he is as motivated as ever to even score goals and win trophies.
“It’s a passion, I still have a passion for the game, not just to score goals but to entertain myself,” Ronaldo added. “I’ve played football since I was five or six years old so whenI get to the pitch even in training I still enjoy it and my motivation’s still good.
“I’m 37 soon, I feel good and motivated. I keep working hard since I was 18 and I continue. I have that passion and want to continue.
“People ask sometimes how many more years I’m going to play and I say I hope to play more than four or five years. It’s all about mentally, because physically if you treat your body good, it’ll treat you back.”
