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Cesc Fabregas has revealed why his former teammate Lionel Messi was a deserved winner of the FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year award, which was handed out on Monday (February 27).
The Argentine forward beat the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to win the prestigious individual award. It was the second time that Messi scooped home the FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year award since its rebranding, having previously received the award in 2009.
The 35-year-old forward led Argentina to their third world title, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup which was held in Qatar last year. He was also among the top-performing players in the competition, scoring seven goals and providing three assists. The Argentina captain also won the Golden Ball award after the tournament.
According to Fabregas, winning the FIFA World Cup last year gave the Argentine forward an edge over Mbappe and Benzema. In his words,
It is worth noting that Mbappe has been in tremendous form for both club and country, and led France to the final of the FIFA World Cup. He also won the Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in the tournament (eight).
Benzema, on the other hand, is the current Ballon d'Or winner and had a remarkable run in last season's UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid. However, Fabregas stated that although the award process could be complex, Messi did enough to win it last night. He (via Cadena Ser):
“This prize is part of life for footballers. They have always been the same, at least for my generation. Everything in these awards is very complex."
Fabregas added:
"Mbappé is very talented, and Benzema had one of the best Champions League in history. Leo, for his part, did well in Paris and then he did what he did in the World Cup, which has a lot of weight. If a player wins it for his performance in the World Cup, he deserves it."
How have Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema fared this season?
The three superstars were the front-liners at the just concluded FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year Award ceremony, with Messi scooping home the grand prize.
So far, all three players have had quite a productive 2022-23 football campaign with their respective club sides.
Argentine forward Messi has scored a total of 17 goals and registered 16 assists for Paris Saint-Germain this season. Mbappe, on the other hand, has scored a remarkable total of 29 goals and registered six assists for Les Parisiens.
Meanwhile, reigning Ballon d'Or holder Benzema has scored a combined total of 17 goals and registered four assists for Real Madrid this season.
