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      Lionel Messi equals Cristiano Ronaldo tally as he wins Fifa The Best Men’s Player award for 2022 after World Cup heroics

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      LIONEL MESSI continued his stellar season after being named World player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards in Paris tonight.The Paris Saint-Germain star, 35, crowned his career by leading Argentina to their first World Cup since 1986 in December and scooped a second Best men’s player title here.
      Messi has won FIFA’s The Best AwardCredit: Reuters
      Lionel Messi was joined by his wife AntonelaCredit: Getty
      Messi exchanges a look with his PSG team-mate Kylian MbappeCredit: Getty
      The pair pose with their FIFPRO World XI awardsCredit: Reuters
      Man Utd ace Casemiro jetted to Paris for the ceremony with his WagCredit: AFP
      Man City ace Joao Cancelo, on loan at Bayern Munich, was also at the doCredit: Reuters
      Aston Villa keeper Emi Martinez and his wife were in attendanceCredit: Reuters
      The Argentina World Cup winner picked up the Best Goalkeeper awardCredit: Reuters
      England star Mary Earps picked up the Women’s Goalkeeper award after helping the Lionesses to Euro gloryCredit: Getty
      Fellow England star Beth Mead was also at the glitzy ceremonyCredit: Getty
      But Mead was snubbed for the Best Women’s Player award, which went instead to Alexi PutellasCredit: Getty
      Messi, who scored twice in the final against France, also won the Golden Ball in Qatar, having claimed the Ligue 1 title with PSG earlier in the year. His 12 league goals this season have helped the champions to an eight point lead in defending their title this term.
      Messi, whose Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni was named as the best men’s coach ahead of Pep Guardiola, pipped PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to the award.
      Messi has now won two ‘The Best’ awards, meaning he is level with Robert Lewandowski and his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo who have also been honoured twice.
      The former Barcelona man also now has ten individual gongs across both the FIFA Best, Ballon d’Or and FIFA player of the year awards, two more than Ronaldo.
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      He said: “It is an amazing pleasure to be here, alongside Benzema and Mbappe, who had a wonderful year.
      “It was an amazing year and I achieved a dream that I had been hoping for for so long.
      “I want to pay tribute to all of my teammates and my coach, without them I wouldn’t be here.”
      The star attended the exclusive bash alongside his wife Antonela and a host of fellow stars.
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      Kylian Mbappe was there with his dad Wilfried and was named in the FIFPRO World XI alongside Messi, but lost out on the Best Player award to his PSG team-mate.
      Prem stars including Emi Martinez – who won Best Goalkeeper – and Casemiro and Virgil van Dijk, both also named in the Team of 2022, attended with their other halves.
      In the Women’s game, England boss Sarina Wiegman and Manchester United’s Mary Earps won best women’s coach and goalkeeper respectively following their Euro 2022 glory last summer.
      Earps said: “I don’t really know what to say, thank you to everyone who voted for me. I feel really honoured to be holding this really heavy trophy. I want to say thank you to my loved ones who have picked me up off the kitchen floor to be here today, not today but in the past.
      “This is for anyone who has ever been in a dark place. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. There’s only one of you in the world, be unapologetically yourself.”
      Wiegman, winning the award for a third time, added: “The Euros were incredible, as the English say we brought it home.”
      Meanwhile Beth Mead was pipped to the best women’s award by Alexia Putellas but she was named in the women’s World XI alongside three Lionesses teammates, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh.
      Other huge names at the star-studded do in Paris included Brazil legend Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Arsene Wenger, Joao Cancelo and, of course, FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
      Jermaine Jenas was there to host the event – which left fans hugely impressed with the job of his agent.
      As many had expected beforehand, the night belonged to Messi, who has been enjoying yet another record-breaking season for both club and country.
      Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign he has recorded an incredible total of 17 goals and 16 assists in 28 appearances for PSG.
      And he also managed to finally get his hands on the only trophy to have eluded him previously – the World Cup.
      Messi led his Argentina teammates to glory in Qatar last year and claimed the prestigious Player of the Tournament Award in the process.
      His red-hot form has continued into 2023 with PSG in pole position to retain their Ligue 1 title.
      Messi left fans stunned when he scored his 700th career club goal on Sunday.
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      He netted once for PSG during the club’s 3-0 win over Marseille and claimed the assist for both of Mbappe’s goals.
      So it hardly came as a surprise to fans when he took to the stage in Paris to accept ‘The Best’ award.
      Virgil van Dijk, who was named to the FIFPRO World XI, was at the event with his familyCredit: Getty
      Jermaine Jenas hosted the FIFA Best ceremonyCredit: Getty
      Mbappe showed up to the Paris bash with his dad WilfriedCredit: Reuters
      Former Premier League ace Dimitri Payet was on the green carpet with his wifeCredit: Reuters
      FIFA President Gianni Infantino was, of course, presentCredit: AP
      Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on the green carpetCredit: Getty
      Brazil legend Ronaldo made an appearanceCredit: AP
      Ex-Chelsea star Didier Drogba was also thereCredit: Getty More

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      ‘Give his agent a pay rise’ – Fans all say the same thing as Jermaine Jenas hosts the Fifa Best Awards

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      THE FIFA Best Awards took place on Monday evening, but football fans were shocked to see one familiar face hosting the event.Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas was tasked with presenting the prestigious bash.
      Jenas hosted FIFA’s The Best AwardsCredit: Getty
      And fans have praised his “super agent” for arranging the gig.
      One person tweeted: “Jermaine Jenas has one hell of an agent.”
      Another added: “Jermaine Jenas’ agent deserves a knighthood, how is he hosting this?”
      A third said: “Jermaine Jenas must have the best agent in the world, how’s he presenting the best awards?”
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      A fourth added: “Give Jermaine Jenas’s agent a pay rise.”
      While a fifth joked: “Jermaine Jenas doesn’t have a home, he just wonders to different studios.”
      The ex-England star also hosted the draw for last year’s World Cup in April, much to the amazement of fans.
      Jenas has expanded his presenting portfolio with his recent work on BBC’s The One Show.
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      He also appears regularly on BT Sport as a pundit.
      The 40-year-old turned to a career in media after retiring from professional football.
      He enjoyed spells with Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa and QPR throughout his playing career.
      But he won just one trophy – the 2008 League Cup with Spurs. More

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      Fifa’s The Best winner ‘leaked’ online ahead of announcement… but who will land gong between Mbappe, Messi and Co?

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      THE winner of Fifa’s prestigious The Best Men’s Player award has allegedly been leaked online. The likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe go head-to-head tonight for the chance to lift the award after strong years on the pitch.
      The winner of Fifa’s The Best Men’s Player has allegedly been leaked onlineCredit: Reuters
      Both Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are in the running to win the awardCredit: Getty
      But who is the apparent winner of this year’s award among the already announced nominees?
      According to journalist Francesc Aguilar, who works for Mundo Deportivo, the winner should come as a little surprise given the superstar’s success at the World Cup.
      Aguilar has claimed: “Lionel Messi is The Best. On Monday, FIFA will remind L’Equipe and France Football that they did not include Leo among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or.
      “To make matters worse, FIFA will hold The Best gala in…Paris!”
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      This information was also reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano on Sunday.
      Messi put in a stunning performance to help guide Argentina all the way to the World Cup trophy in Qatar, including scoring twice in the final and being awarded the Golden Ball.
      The 35-year-old was on fire for PSG in the second half of the year after struggling to find his scoring touch in the first, a fact which saw him omitted from the nominees for the Ballon d’Or, which was won by Champions League winning Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
      It means Messi will win the award for the second time since its inception, having previously picked up the gong in 2019.
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      It will also see Frenchman Mbappe denied his first win of the award.
      The 24-year-old had a truly remarkable year, becoming just the second player to ever score a World Cup final hat-trick, taking the golden boot in Qatar and scoring the most goals in Europe’s top five league in 2022 with 44.
      Benzema is another name set to be snubbed despite his Ballon d’Or win and Champions League victory with Real Madrid last season.
      The ceremony will begin at 8pm this evening.
      World Cup winner Messi is set to win the awardCredit: Getty
      Messi has had a strong Ligue 1 season at PSG More

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      Fifa Fifpro 2022 shortlist for best world XI revealed including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and just one Englishman

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      THE 26-man Fifa Fifpro 2022 shortlist has been revealed as Lionel Messi AND Cristiano Ronaldo both make the cut.The star-studded list, which is compiled from nominations by players, will eventually be trimmed down to a best world XI.
      Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both made the shortlistCredit: AFP
      The 26 players shortlisted for the Fifa Fifpro XICredit: @FIFPRO
      But for now fans are being left to speculate who will make the team from three keepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and seven forwards.
      And just one Englishman made it into the elite group of players.
      Messi was nailed on to be in the shortlist after he ended the year by winning the World Cup for Argentina.
      But the inclusion of Ronaldo was more of a surprise.
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      The Portuguese star, 38, did end the 2021/22 campaign with 24 goals for Man Utd.
      However, he registered just three for the Red Devils in the first half of this season, before leaving for Al-Nassr.
      Referencing Ronaldo’s inclusion in the list, Piers Morgan said: “Interesting to see his peer group show him a lot more respect than most of the football media”.
      The other five forwards listed as possibilities for the XI are Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
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      Kylian Mbappe has enjoyed a sensational 12 months with PSG and FranceCredit: Getty
      But there is no place for Brazilian Vinicius Junior – who was integral in winning Real Madrid the Champions League.
      The only England star to make it into the list is Borussia Dortmund teenager Jude Bellingham.
      His sensational 12 months at club level have coincided with a breakout year for the Three Lions.
      He is joined by seven midfielders on the shortlist – Casemiro, Kevin de Bruyne, Enzo Fernandez, Gavi, Luka Modric, Pedri and Fede Valverde.
      Half of the eight defenders listed spent at least part of 2022 in the Premier League – Joao Cancelo, Virgil van Dijk, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva.
      They are joined by Alphonso Davies, Josko Gvardiol, Achraf Hakimi and Theo Hernandez.
      And the three keepers in contention are Alisson Becker, Thibaut Courtois and Emi Martinez.
      Jude Bellingham is one of the most exciting young stars in EuropeCredit: Getty More

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      Fifa set to trial new offside rule with semi-automatic system deemed ‘too accurate’

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      FIFA are reportedly set to trial a new offside rule after the semi-automatic system they introduced was deemed “too accurate”.The system, which uses 10 cameras to track 29 body points of each player, was brought in by the governing body for the World Cup.
      Fifa chief Gianni Infantino brought in the semi-automatic offside system for the World CupCredit: Reuters
      It has allegedly been deemed ‘too accurate’ with a new one set to be trialledCredit: Getty
      The semi-automatic offside technology was initially meant to be rolled out for the opening fixture of the tournament in Qatar.
      But Uefa stole a march on Fifa as it was deployed in the Super Cup fixture between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt.
      However, now it seems that the accuracy of the semi-automatic offsides were restricting attacking play.
      And now they are considering changing the rule so if any part of the body you can score with is level with the defender you are not offside.
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      A trial will have to be held first before any change goes through, with Gianluca DiMarzio claiming that Italian U18 matches could be used to try it out.
      He wrote: “Fifa is thinking of a new modification that would go against the canons of semi-automatic offside.
      “In fact, the latter has such a high degree of accuracy that it limits the teams’ offensive play.
      “It is therefore decided to consider an attacker in play who has at least one part of the body good for scoring in a regular position , bringing the concept of ‘light’ out into the open.
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      “Another reason for this hypothetical change could also be the fact that players are often penalised for a part of the body that does not even benefit them.”
      He added: “Before definitively inserting this new rule, however, it must be tested at lower levels.
      “For this reason, Fifa has chosen, among others, the Italian U18 championship to verify the feasibility and collect significant data.”
      No official announcement has yet been made by Fifa regarding the potential rule change or trial. More

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      Prem clubs get HUGE cash boost after £488m EA Sports deal that QUADRUPLES previous agreement after record transfer spend

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      PREM clubs have cashed in with a huge new £488m deal with video games giant EA Sports.A fall-out with world bosses means the company’s marquee football game will no longer have the “Fifa” tag from next year.
      EA Sports’ football game will NOT wear the Fifa tag anymore next yearCredit: Getty
      But the six-year deal, signed off by club bosses, represents almost a QUADRUPLING of the previous three-season agreement.
      That deal had been worth around £23m per year, adding up to just over £1m per club.
      But the new contract to run from the start of next term will be worth £81.3m each year.
      The new agreement will extend the relationship between EA Sports and the Prem, which started in 1998, to 31 years.
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      Prem January spending almost doubled the previous record last month.
      A total of £815million was splurged by English top flight clubs during the mid-season transfer window.
      Chelsea accounted for a staggering £326m of this sum – with big money buys including Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk.
      The Blues’ spend was more than that of clubs in Spain, Germany, Italy and France put together.
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      The Premier League spent more than all the other top five leagues in January
      Meanwhile, Prem clubs have ridiculed rebooted “reverse Brexit” plans for a European Super League WITHOUT English teams.
      Conspirators Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are refusing to give up on their breakaway project despite it crashing and burning inside 48 HOURS two years ago.
      Now the three rebels are using Madrid-based sports marketing firm A22 to rehash another version of the plan that would see up to 80 clubs leave Uefa to form a new competition.
      But that would NOT include any Premier League clubs, with A22 using the success of English football as a justification for the new tournament.
      Prem club bosses last night accused the Super Leaguers of wanting to boot English teams OUT of Europe. One insider revealed: “This is a reverse Brexit.
      “We are talking about a closed league that is trying to justify itself by pitting Europe against England.
      “At the same time, they claim they want to emulate the Prem’s success. To say people are bemused is an understatement.”
      Real Madrid chief Florentino perez is refusing to give up on the hated Super League projectCredit: EPA More

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      Josef Bican was ‘Czech Cristiano Ronaldo’ who would cost £300m today, but Portugal star still well off his 1,468 goals

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      JOSEF BICAN would have been as famous as Pele if he had played in a different era.That is the view of a Fifa historian as Cristiano Ronaldo remains miles off is unofficial 1,468 goal tally.
      Josef Bican is the highest official goalscorer of all timeCredit: Getty
      Cristiano Ronaldo overtook Bican’s 805 goal haulCredit: Getty
      Although no one is certain of the exact number of goals he bagged as Bican’s career spanned from 1931 to 1955 when record keeping was not quite as efficient as it is in 2022.
      But the most common tally credited to the former Slavia Prague ace is 805 goals – 779 for club and 26 international – according to Fifa.
      As with the late Pele, the lines are somewhat blurry when it comes to official and unofficial goals scored.
      The Brazil legend changed his Instagram bio to read ‘Highest goalscorer of all time (1,283)’ in a bid to cling onto his self-awarded title.
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      Pele is actually only credited with 757 official strikes – with his higher total generally understood to include goals scored in friendly and tour matches.
      Ronaldo, now 38, returned to Manchester United the summer before last and bagged 24 goals – as well as becoming international football’s all-time leading scorer – to surpass Pele’s total.
      However, he has since left the club for Al Nassr after a fallout with the Red Devils and opened his account in his second game for the club.
      He has 820 goals to his name in his career, according to records.
      But even on unofficial goals, Fifa still give the crown to Bican with a staggering 1,468 – even though Ronaldo has now overtaken his official tally of 805 goals.
      Fifa note on their website: “The Brazilian legend [Pele] includes in his tally goals scored in unofficial games.
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      “And if we were to do the same for Bican, his mark would be an estimated 1,468 – even if these figures are difficult to verify given their era.”
      Bican was born on September 25, 1913 in Vienna and died in Prague on December 12, 2001.
      He is believed to have scored his stunning 805 goals in just 530 games – a goal rate which would surely see him worth at least £300million in today’s market.
      Bican played for Austria at the 1934 World Cup in Italy before switching his allegiance to his adopted homeland of Czechoslovakia – now the Czech Republic.
      He scored 14 goals in 19 games for the Austrians before making the switch – which was still permitted in the 30s.
      Having played for Hertha Vienna – like his father had – Bican switched to Rapid Vienna in 1931 and started his professional career where he spent six years.
      In 1937, Bican transferred to Slavia Prague where he fell in love with the club and the country.
      Bican played for Slavia for 11 years and later became their manager.
      During his time in Prague, he successfully applied for Czech citizenship and played for the country 14 times between 1939 and 1949 – scoring 12 times.
      Bican did not represent his new nation at the 1938 World Cup in France because of an admin error. And the next two tournaments were cancelled because of World War II.
      Pele claimed he holds the crown but his 1,283 unofficial tally includes goals scored in friendlies and tour matchesCredit: Instagram / @pele
      Czechoslovakia – along with several other Soviet countries – refused to participate in the 1950 World Cup.
      And these World Cup absences are why Fifa historian Radovan Jelinek thinks the goal machine was not more well known.
      He said: “Bican was incredibly unlucky at the height of his career. There was no World Cup in 1942 or 1946 because of the war.
      “If the 1942 edition had taken place, for example, he would surely have become more widely known. Perhaps he might even have been as famous as Pele.”
      Describing his goalscoring prowess on Czech TV in 1990, Bican said: “When I talk to young reporters, they always say, ‘Mr Bican, scoring was easier back in your day.’
      “So I ask them, ‘How come? Look, are there opportunities today?’ And they tell me, ‘Of course there are, many of them’.
      “And I say, ‘There you go. If there weren’t opportunities, it would be difficult. But if there are, scoring is the same as it was a hundred years ago, and it’ll be the same in a hundred years’ time too. It’ll always be the same.”
      Reports suggest Bican could run 100m in 10.8 seconds – just half a second slower than the world record at the time.
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      Bican’s father Frantiesk fought in World War I and returned unscathed but ironically it was football that killed him.
      The Hertha player picked up a serious kidney injury during a game and eventually died from the problem. More

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      Argentina launch quadruple country bid to host World Cup 2030 with Uruguay part of bid to make 100th anniversary

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      SOUTH America’s four nation bid to host the 2030 World Cup has been formally launched in Buenos Aires.Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile have joined forces in a bid to mark the centenary of the first tournament in 2030.
      Argentina are part of a four country South American bid to hos World Cup 2030Credit: EPA
      Argentina are joined by Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay in the joint bid
      All games in that first World Cup were played in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo.
      The planned bid would see the Final played in the same Estadio Centenario as in 1930.
      South American confederation head Alejandro Dominguez said: “The 2030 World Cup is not just one more version.
      “It deserves a celebration and recognition to mark 100 years of the tournament.
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      “Fifa has the chance to demonstrate a gesture of greatness and award the World Cup to the place where it originated.”
      Europe’s candidate is a joint bid by Spain and Portugal.
      There are some games also planned in Ukraine.
      But the biggest rivalry for the South Americans is likely to come from the Saudi Arabian campaign.
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      That also currently includes Egypt and Greece.
      That Saudi bid is set for unofficial backing from Fifa President Gianni Infantino. More