Lionel Messi won The Best Fifa men's player prize for 2022 Monday on the back of his World Cup triumph with Argentina and Spain's Alexia Putellas retained the women's award at a ceremony in Paris.
Messi beat his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, and World Cup final rival, Kylian Mbappe to the men's gong with Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema the other contender to claim the prize.
It is the second time that Messi has won the honor inaugurated by Fifa in 2016 after football's world governing body split from Ballon d'Or organizers France Football.
The award, which is voted for by national team coaches and captains, journalists and also fans, recognizes a year in which the former Barcelona star crowned his glorious career by leading Argentina to victory at the World Cup.
Messi scored twice in an epic final in Doha as Argentina beat France on penalties despite Mbappe netting a hat-trick for Les Bleus in a remarkable 3-3 draw.
The 35-year old, a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, succeeds Robert Lewandowski on the FIFA honors list, while Putellas retained the women's prize despite spending the second half of last year out injured.
The 29-year old beat England's European Championship-winning striker Beth Mead and United States star Alex Morgan to add the Fifa crown to the Ballon d'Or, which she has also won two years running.
Putellas is currently recovering from a serious knee injury suffered last July which saw her miss the Euro in England with Spain.
Prior to that she had scored 11 goals on Barca's run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon.
Best men's XI: Thibaut Courtois, Achraf Hakimi, Joao Cancelo, Virgil Van Dijk, Kevin de Bruyne, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland
Best women's XI: Christiane Endler, Lucy Bronze, Mapi Leon, Leah Williamson, Wendie Renard, Alexia Putellas, Kiera Walsh, Lena Oberdorf, Alex Morgan, Sam Kerr, Beth Mead
Winners:
Best men's player: Lionel Messi (Argentina & Paris Saint Germain)
Best women's player: Alexia Putellas (Spain & Barcelona)
Best fans: Argentina
Fairplay award: Luka Lochoshvili (Georgia & Cremonese)
Best men's coach: Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
Best women's coach: Sarina Wiegman (England)
Best men's goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina & Aston Villa)
Best women's goalkeeper: Mary Earps (England & Manchester United)
Puskas award (best goal): Marcin Oleksy (Poland)