Football, like any other modern-day sport, has undergone a sea of changes as it evolved over the years. Fans of different generations vouch for their favourite players as the best of all time.

The likes of Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been fan favourites and are some of the prime contenders for the title of King of Football.

Brazilian legend Pele had set the benchmark early with three football World Cup wins out of the four he played from 1958 to 1970. He netted close to 700 goals for club and country to leave his legacy on the game. With such incredible records to his name, the title of King of Football is most often associated with the legendary Pelé.

Later, Diego Maradona received similar adulation from the fans as he single-handedly took Argentina to the pinnacle of World Football in 1986 captaining the team to a World Cup win. He was known more for his dribbling prowess as he cast a spell on defenders to wriggle away with the ball.

The late 1990s saw the emergence of players like Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho who left their mark on the field with spectacular performances.

However, it has been a two-horse race in the 21st century with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo pushing each other to bring out their best. 

Messi, who could not replicate his performances at Barcelona with the Argentina national team, has struck gold lately in the blue and white stripes. He first won the Copa America trophy in 2021 with Argentina before achieving ultimate glory with a FIFA World Cup win in 2022.

Messi finished as the joint top-scorer and shared the Best Player award with Brazilian Neymar in the 2021 continental championship. He also won the Golden Ball for the Player of the Tournament at the 2022 World Cup. 

Another title at the Copa America 2024 will make it three international titles in a row for Argentina and Messi, cementing his place as the King of Football. With a career spanning 20 years, 8 Ballon d’Or trophies, four FIFA World Player of the Year awards, and more than 600 goals, Messi has reached the zenith of the beautiful game.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has been a revelation with the most international appearances and goals scored by any player in the history of the game. He has played in top European clubs in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy winning a total of five UEFA Champions League titles, seven league titles and five Ballon d’Or awards among others.

Ronaldo won the Euro 2016 title with Portugal but is yet to win a World Cup with the side. In the 2022 World Cup, he became the first player to score in five World Cups and his presence in the UEFA Euro 2024 has made him the only player to have played six European Championships. 

With close to 700 goals and 21 years of professional football behind him, Ronaldo has pushed all limits of fitness and longevity in a tough physical game.

World Football will soon see the passing of the baton from Messi and Ronaldo to the next generation of stars, like Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham, who are in line to be crowned the world’s best.

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Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as the highest paid footballer 2024, according to the annual list released by Forbes.

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo pipped Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) talisman Kylian Mbappé to be listed as the highest paid footballer in the world.

As per the Forbes list, Ronaldo also edged Spanish professional golfer Jon Rahm to become the world’s highest paid athlete, leading the list for the fourth time in his career with an estimated total earnings of $260 million.

Since his much-talked about transfer from Manchester United to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr, Ronaldo earned a whopping $200 million annual salary at his club over the last 12 months.

Apart from his massive on-field earnings, the Portuguese star raked in $60 million through multiple endorsement deals, including with his partners crypto exchange Binance and fitness app Erakulis. Nike, Herbalife, Clear Hair Care and recently, Whoop are some of the other brand deals Ronaldo has ties with.

Additionally, the Portugal national football captain is also owed a $10.5 million check from his former club, Juventus, after an arbitrator ruled the Serie A team was still on the hook for outstanding wages dating back to a Covid-19 pandemic pay cut.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi earned $135 million over the past one year, largely thanks to his huge $65 million annual salary with Inter Miami, which is now the second-most valuable franchise in Major League Soccer (MLS) at $1.03 billion. 

Messi also earned another $70 million off the field, from his numerous endorsement deals including Adidas, Apple, Konami and Lowe’s.

Apart from Ronaldo and Messi, PSG forward Kylian Mbappé features sixth in the top 10 list of highest paid athletes in the world and is currently the third highest paid footballer.

The French professional footballer raked in a combined $110 million through on field and off field earnings. Mbappé currently earns $90 million at PSG while the remaining $20 million has come through various endorsements.

Neymar and Karim Benzema are the other two players from the Saudi Pro League to feature in the highest paid football players 2024 list. Get list of highest paid footballers 2024.

Highest paid footballers 2024

Athlete	On-Field	Off-Field	Earnings Value	Overall Ranking
Cristiano Ronaldo	$200 million	$60 million	$260 million	1
Lionel Messi	$65 million	$70 million	$135 million	3
Kylian Mbappé	$90 million	$20 million	$110 million	6
Neymar	$80 million	$28 million	$108 million	7
Karim Benzema	$100 million	$6 million	$106 million	8

Highest paid athletes 2024

Athlete	Sport	On-Field	Off-Field	Earnings Value	Overall Ranking
Cristiano Ronaldo	Football	$200 million	$60 million	$260 million	1
Jon Rahm	Golf	$198 million	$20 million	$218 million	2
Lionel Messi	Football	$65 million	$70 million	$135 million	3
LeBron James	Basketball	$48.2 million	$80 million	$128.2 million	4
Giannis Antetokounmpo	Basketball	$46 million	$65 million	$111 million	5
Kylian Mbappé	Football	$90 million	$20 million	$110 million	6
Neymar	Football	$80 million	$28 million	$108 million	7
Karim Benzema	Football	$100 million	$6 million	$106 million	8
Stephen Curry	Basketball	$52 million	$50 million	$102 million	9
Lamar Jackson	American football	$98.5 million	$2 million	$100.5 million	10

Photo credit: Alamy

The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 was held in London on January 15, 2024.

Organised by FIFA, the Best FIFA Football Award is presented by football’s governing body to celebrate the achievements in men’s and women’s football in the calendar year.

The winners at Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 were selected by an international jury featuring national team coaches and captains as well expert journalists and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com.

The award period for The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper was between December 19, 2022 and August 20, 2023.

Apart from these three categories, The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper, The FIFA Puskás Award, The FIFA Fair Play Award and The FIFA Fan Award were also given out. Get Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 winners list.

Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 winners list

The Best FIFA Men’s Player

Lionel Messi pipped Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to win the Best FIFA Men's Player Award.

Interestingly, Messi and Haaland were tied in voting on 48 points. However, the FIFA World Cup 2022 winner edged the Manchester City forward based on the number of first-choice nominations which Messi received from the national team captains.

Previously, Messi won The Best FIFA Men's Player in 2019 and 2022 since its inception in 2016. 

The Best FIFA Women’s Player

Barcelona Femeni midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up her first Best FIFA Women's Player Award. The Spanish footballer topped the vote ahead of Linda Caicedo and Jenni Hermoso to win the award. Earlier, Bonmati bagged the Golden Ball prize at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 held in Australia and New Zealand. Bonmati received 52 points while Caicedo and Jenni Hermoso secured 40 and 36 points, respectively.

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson won The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award ahead of Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois and Yassine Bounou of Al-Hilal. Ederson bagged the award for the first time after helping City win the treble -  Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the 2022-23 season.

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper

England and Manchester United No.1 Mary Earps won The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Award for the second consecutive year. Mary Earps pipped Barcelona Femeni goalkeeper Catalina Coll and Australia’s Mackenzie Arnold after her impressive showing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola claimed The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Award in London. Guardiola won the award ahead of Luciano Spalletti and Simone Inzaghi. Under Pep’s guidance, City won the treble including winning their first UEFA Champions League.

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach

England coach Sarina Wiegman bagged the The Best FIFA Women’s Coach Award for a record-extending fourth time. Previously, Wiegman won the award in 2017, 2020 and 2022. Wiegman (28 points) edged Emma Hayes and Jonatan Giraldez to claim the award.

The FIFA Puskás Award

Brazilian midfielder Guilherme Madruga won The FIFA Puskás Award for his spectacular overhead kick from outside the box for Botafogo against Novorizontino in the Brasileirão Serie B clash.

The FIFA Fan Award

Argentine Hugo Daniel “Toto�?Iniguez was awarded The FIFA Fan Award for 2023.

In May 2023, the Colon de Santa Fe fan went viral after he was spotted feeding his son during an Argentine Primera Division encounter against Barracas Central.

The FIFA Fair Play Award

The Brazilian national football team won The FIFA Fair Play Award for their influential stand against racism.

A Seleção donned an all-black jersey in place of their traditional yellow kit during a friendly against Guinea in June 2023. Brazil donned a black kit for the first time in their history in order to show solidarity with star forward Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian star forward has been subjected to racial abuse while playing for Real Madrid in La Liga.

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Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer of 2023 with 53 goals.

Playing for his club Al Nassr FC, Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace against Al Ittihad Club in the recent Saudi Pro League clash to become the leading goal-scorer in 2023.

Ronaldo scored his 52nd and 53rd goal of the calendar year after converting two penalties in Al Nassr's 5-2 win over Al Ittihad at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.

With the two goals, Ronaldo pipped Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe to have the most goals in 2023.

Both Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have scored 52 goals in 2023. 

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is the only other player to have 50 strikes in 2023. Get top scorer of 2023 football list.

Top scorers of 2023 in world football

Player	Teams	Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr/Portugal	53
Harry Kane	Bayern Munich/Tottenham/England	52
Kylian Mbappe	Paris Saint-Germain/France	52
Erling Haaland	Manchester City/Norway	50
Romelu Lukaku	AS Roma/Belgium	40

Cristiano Ronaldo | 53 goals

Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has been in sensational form in 2023. Since joining Al Nassr after completing his second spell with Manchester United, Ronaldo has scored 43 goals for Al Nassr across club competitions. He is the leading goal-scorer in Saudi Pro League 2023-24 with 19 goals in 17 matches. Ronaldo has also netted 10 goals for Portugal in their Euro 2024 qualifying matches.

Harry Kane | 52 goals

England talisman Harry Kane shares the second spot on the top scorer of 2023 football list. Having joined Bayern Munich from Tottenham Hotspur this season, Harry Kane has repaid their faith by already netting 25 goals for the Bavarians. Kane is also the leading goalscorer in the Bundesliga this season with 21 goals. The prolific goalkeeper has scored nine goals for England in 2023.

Kylian Mbappe | 52 goals

Paris Saint-Germain star forward Kylian Mbappe has the joint second-most goals in 2023. Even with the departure of Lionel Messi and Neymar from PSG this season, Kylian Mbappe has netted 42 goals in 44 matches. He is currently the highest goalscorer in the Ligue 1 2023-24 with 18 goals, 10 strikes more than second-placed Wissam Ben Yedder of AS Monaco. Mbappe has also scored 10 goals for the France national football team in 2023.

Erling Haaland | 50 goals

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland features fourth on the list. Erling Haaland has continued his brilliant form for the Premier League champions with 44 goals in 2023. Apart from his goals for City, Haaland has netted six goals for the Norway national team in the calendar year. With two matches left in 2023, Haaland could eclipse Ronaldo to be the top scorer of 2023.

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Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest paid footballer of 2023, according to the annual list released by Forbes.

Having joined Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr FC in January 2023 after his second spell with Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has earned a whopping $260 million over the last 12 months, making him the world’s highest paid athlete.

Ronaldo, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al-Nassr, earns an estimated $214 million per season, making it the highest salary in world football. His weekly wage is around $3.9 million. 

Apart from his on-field earnings which include salary, prize money and bonuses, the Portuguese superstar raked in millions through multiple endorsement deals, appearance fees, licensing income and cash returns from businesses he runs.

Al-Nassr captain Ronaldo pipped long-time rival and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi and Al Hilal SFC Neymar to become the highest paid footballer in the world.

Lionel Messi features second on the list for the highest paid football players of 2023 with total earnings of $135 million.

Messi’s former teammate and Al-Hilal forward Neymar is third on the list with total earnings of $112 million.

Neymar reportedly earns $163.7 million per year at Al-Hilal, a team he joined back in August.

PSG star Kylian Mbappé and former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema complete the top five list for the highest paid football players of 2023.

While Mbappé raked in a combined $110 million through on-field and off-field earnings, Benzema, who joined Saudi club Al-Ittihad this year, earned $106 million over the past one year.

Apart from Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane is the other player from the Saudi Pro League to feature in the highest paid football players of 2023 list. 

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland edged Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and teammate Kevin De Bruyne to become the highest paid footballer player in the Premier League.

Haaland, with total earnings of $58 million, eclipsed Salah ($53 million) and De Bruyne ($39 million). Here’s the full list of highest paid football players of 2023.

Highest paid football players of 2023

Rank	Player	Club	Earnings
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr FC	$260 million
2	Lionel Messi	Inter Miami CF	$135 million
3	Neymar	Al Hilal SFC	$112 million
4	Kylian Mbappé	Paris Saint-Germain	$110 million
5	Karim Benzema	Al-Ittihad Club	$106 million
6	Erling Haaland	Manchester City	$58 million
7	Mohamed Salah	Liverpool FC	$53 million
8	Sadio Mane	Al-Nassr FC	$52 million
9	Kevin De Bruyne	Manchester City	$39 million
10	Harry Kane	FC Bayern Munich	$34 million

 

Photo credit: Alamy

The UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers started on March 23, 2023 and will conclude on March 26, 2024. 

Organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament will determine the 23 UEFA member men's national teams that will join the automatically qualified host team Germany in the UEFA Euro 2024 main tournament.

The 17th edition of the UEFA European Championship is scheduled to be held in 10 venues in Germany from June 14 to July 14 next year.

As many as 53 teams are currently competing in the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament. These participating teams have been divided into 10 groups, with seven groups comprising five teams and three groups featuring six teams.  

According to the format, the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers are being played in a home-and-away, round-robin format on double matchdays in March, June, September, October, and November 2023. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the final tournament.

After the conclusion of the qualifying group stage, the remaining three teams will be decided through the play-offs, to be held in March 2024. 

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Maksim Samorodov scored the first goal in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament against Slovenia in their Group H clash on matchday 1. 

Despite Maksim’s early strike in the 23rd minute, Kazakhstan went down to Slovenia 1-2 at the Astana Arena in Kazakhstan.

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo, France talisman Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland of Norway have been the leading goalscorers in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament so far.

Here’s a look at the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers top-scorers list:

UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers top scorers list

Player	Team	Matches played	Goals
Romelu Lukaku	Belgium	7	10
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	7	9
Harry Kane	England	6	7
Rasmus Højlund	Denmark	8	7
Zeki Amdouni	Switzerland	7	6
Erling Haaland	Norway	5	5
Kylian Mbappé	France	6	6
Scott McTominay	Scotland	6	6
Giorgos Masouras	Greece	7	5
Aleksandar Mitrović	Serbia	6	5

Photo credit: Alamy

The world of football has witnessed some iconic strikers over the years, from the times of Ferenc Puskas, Eusebio, Pele to the current generation stalwarts like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski. 

The role of a center-forward, though, has changed quite a bit as time passed by. A good modern day striker is expected to be clinical in front of the goal, and also contribute as much as he can in the build-up. 

Gone are the days when a forward could wait on the halfway line waiting for somebody to win the ball. Managers like Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp expect their No. 9s to drop deep and help their defenders as well.

So who is the best among the current generation forwards?

Best striker in the world

Erling Haaland is currently regarded as the best striker in the world. The Norwegian international became the fastest player to score 20 goals in the history of English club football, reaching the mark in just 14 matches. 

It has been a debut season to remember for the former Borussia Dortmund player, who made a big money move this summer to Manchester City. He has already scored three hat-tricks, including one against Manchester United at home. 

PSG’s Kylian Mbappe is having a terrific season as well, for club and country. While the 24-year-old striker smashed 25 goals in 26 matches for the Parisian club, he nearly won his second World Cup in Qatar with France. 

Mbappe won the Golden Boot in the FIFA World Cup 2022 with eight goals in seven matches. He also scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina, becoming the second footballer in history to score thrice a World Cup final.

While two young guns in Mbappe and Haaland are leading the race to be the best striker in the world, senior players Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski are not far from contention. 

Although Tottenham Hotspur are struggling to make their presence felt in the Premier League, Kane has been on the score sheet more than a dozen times this season.

Robert Lewandowski, who moved to Barcelona in summer after a sensational spell with Bayern Munich, continues to pile on the goals with 23 strikes in 26 appearances across competitions this season. 

Player	2022-23 goals
Erling Haaland	32
Kylian Mbappe	25
Robert Lewandowski	23
Harry Kane	19

 

Photo credits: Alamy

Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr's new signing Cristiano Ronaldo is now the highest-paid footballer in the world.

Ronaldo recently signed a new two-and-a-half-year deal with Al Nassr as a free agent that will keep him at the Gulf club until 2025. His decision comes after his contract with Manchester United was mutually terminated mid-season in November 2022.

Cristiano Ronaldo salary

Cristiano Ronaldo's salary at Al Nassr is estimated at nearly USD 214 million a season, making it the highest football salary in the world. His weekly wage will be around USD 3.9 million. While the contract involves two and half years of playing for Al Nassr, it also includes a five-year commitment to represent Saudi Arabia as an ambassador.

This will be the first time Cristiano leaves the European circuit. 

Kylian Mbappe salary

According to the new deal with PSG, Mbappe is set to earn USD 63 million per year. This means his weekly wage will be approximately USD 1.15 million. Furthermore, the World Cup winner will pocket a signing-on bonus of USD 126 million (£100 million), and receive bonus payments for goals, Ballon d'Or honours and UEFA Champions League success.

Kylian Mbappe’s salary is roughly USD 12 million more than his team-mate Lionel Messi, in terms of yearly figures.

Lionel Messi salary 

Lionel Messi is estimated to earn USD 41 million, after he joined Paris Saint-Germain from FC Barcelona in 2021. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is earning a weekly salary of USD 800,000. While he took a USD 22 million cut to join the French giants, Messi was termed the highest-paid footballer for the past 12 months as per Forbes.

Another team-mate who Kylian Mbappe overtook on the top footballers�?salary list is Brazilian superstar Neymar.

Neymar salary

The most expensive player of all time, Neymar - who joined the Les Parisiens in 2017 - signed a contract extension with PSG in 2021 that keeps him at the club until 2025. Neymar’s salary is valued at USD 36.5 million per year while his weekly wages are pinned at USD 700,000.

Amongst all the players on the list, Andres Iniesta is the only footballer plying his trade outside Europe. The former Barcelona icon will enter his fifth year as a Vissel Kobe player in 2022-23, having signed a new two-year contract extension with the J League side in 2021.

Andres Iniesta’s salary is valued at USD 31 million per year while he earns around USD 600,000 on a weekly basis.

Highest football salary

Player	Team	Weekly Salary	Yearly Salary
Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	USD 3.9 million	USD 214.5 million
Kylian Mbappe	Paris Saint-Germain	USD 1.15 million	USD 63 million
Lionel Messi	Paris Saint-Germain	USD 800,000	USD 41 million
Neymar	Paris Saint-Germain	USD 700,000	USD 36.5 million
Andres Iniesta	Vissel Kobe	USD 600,000	USD 31 million

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / FRANCK FIFE

French forward Kylian Mbappe has taken the footballing world by storm ever since making his debut at the age of 16 for his former club AS Monaco.

Be it club football or representing France in the international circuit, Mbappe never ceases to impress, netting some stunning goals.

On the international stage, the Mbappe has netted 36 goals in 66 matches so far, out of which 12 goals have come in the FIFA World Cups, having first represented Les Bleus in the 2018 edition.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup saw Kylian Mbappe guide the France national football team to their second title in their history. He scored a total of four goals, including one in the final against Croatia to help the Didier Deschamps-led side emerge victorious.

Kylian Mbappe’s FIFA World Cup goals

FIFA World Cup	Goals
2018	4
2022	8

Goal no. 1 vs Peru | FIFA World Cup 2018 

In the second group stage match, France faced Peru on the back of a 2-1 win against Australia. Kylian Mbappe netted the solitary goal against Peru in the first half. At the age of 19, he became the youngest-ever goalscorer for France at the global stage.

Goal no. 2 and 3 vs Argentina | FIFA World Cup 2018

Following their Round of 16 qualification, France faced a formidable Lionel Messi-led Argentina. The match lived up to its expectations as Didier Deschamps�?men ended on the right side of the 4-3 scoreline. Nonetheless, Mbappe showcased his goal-scoring prowess yet again with a brace, helping his team progress to the quarter-finals.

Goal no. 4 vs Croatia | FIFA World Cup 2018

One of Mbappe’s most revered goals came at a time when it mattered the most. After drawing blanks against Uruguay and Belgium in quarters and semis, respectively, Mbappe stepped up to net the fourth goal for France against Croatia in the final, powering his team to their second FIFA World Cup trophy.

He also won the FIFA Young Player Award for his debut campaign at the marquee event, finishing with four goals in seven appearances.

Goal no. 5 vs Australia | FIFA World Cup 2022

Four years later, Mbappe picked up from where he left off. In their opening match of the campaign, the youngster netted the third goal for his team in an emphatic 4-1 victory to begin their title defence on a winning note. 

Goal no. 6 and 7 vs Denmark | FIFA World Cup 2022

France broke the ‘World Cup champions curse�?by winning two games on the trot to qualify for the Round of 16, with the second group stage win coming against Denmark. Mbappe was once again on the scoresheet, scoring a brace in the second half to win the contest by 2-1.

Goal no. 8 and 9 vs Poland | FIFA World Cup 2022

Kylian Mbappe extended his goal-scoring spree with his fourth and fifth goal of the tournament in a convincing 3-1 win over Poland in the Round of 16. Having assisted Olivier Giroud for his record-breaking goal in the first half, Mbappe himself scored twice in the second half to seal a quarter-final berth.

Goal no. 10, 11 and 12 vs Argentina | FIFA World Cup 2022

Kylian Mbappe became the second footballer to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966. After scoring two goals towards the end of normal time, he scored again late in extra time to take the game to penalties. Alas, the penalty shootout went Arentina's way, making Mbappe the only footballer to lose a final after scoring a hat-trick.

featured image: Alamy

The FIFA World Cup 2022 came to an end on December 18, which possibly had the greatest final of all time between France and Argentina. Lionel Scaloni became the youngest manager to win a World Cup as The Albiceleste defeated France on penalties.

Lionel Messi spearheaded the Argentine attack and was ably supported by his teammates. For his outstanding performance, Messi took home the biggest individual prize of the night, the Golden Ball. He became the first player to win this prestigious award twice, having won it previously in 2014. 

Here’s a list of all the FIFA World Cup 2022 award winners.

FIFA World Cup 2022 award winners

Award	Player	Country
Golden Ball	Lionel Messi	Argentina
Golden Boot	Kylian Mbappe	France
Golden Glove	Emiliano Martinez	Argentina
Young Player of the tournament	Enzo Fernandez	Argentina

FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Ball - Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup by handing his side the biggest of contributions. The skipper led by example, scoring seven goals and assisting three more, which includes two goals in the final. Messi now has 13 goals in World Cups across five editions. The most goals in FIFA World Cup record is bettered only by Gerd Muller (14 goals), Ronaldo Nazario (15 goals) and Miroslav Klose (16 goals).

FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Boot - Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe became the second footballer to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup final. This took his goal tally in Qatar 2022 to eight, one above Lionel Messi. Earlier, he scored a brace against Denmark in the group stages and Poland in the round of 16. At the age of 24, Mbappe already has 12 goals in two World Cups and only Just Fontaine has more goals in this tournament among French players. 

FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Glove - Emiliano Martinez

Emiliano Martinez bailed Argentina out of two avoidable penalty shootouts and on both occasions, the eventual champions blew up a 2-0 lead in normal time. He made a sensational save in the dying minutes of extra time in the final to deny Randal Kolo Muani a World Cup-winning goal and went on to save Kingsley Coman’s shot in the shootout. 

FIFA World Cup 2022 Young Player of the Tournament - Enzo Fernandez

Enzo Fernandez’s name has been on the transfer wishlist of many big teams in European club football and the Benfica prodigy will cost them a lot more after his staggering performance in the World Cup. The energetic midfielder covered plenty of ground making crucial defensive contributions, also scoring a vital goal against Mexico in the group stages. 

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