Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas honored as best men’s and women’s football players

Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas have crowned the best players in men’s and women’s football at FIFA’s annual awards ceremony in Paris.

Messi, who guided Argentina to World Cup glory at the end of last year, was honoured as the Best FIFA Men’s Player for the second time, while Spanish midfielder Putellas was named Best FIFA Women’s Player for the second year running.

National team coaches and captains, as well as a worldwide panel of journalists and supporters, vote on the awards each year.

The 35-year-old Messi finished ahead of Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema in the voting for the men’s award. Alexia Putellas is the first player to win the women’s award twice.