Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski won the best men’s player at the Best Fifa Football Awards in Zurich, beating last year’s winner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the top prize. The winners were decided by nominations from national team captains and head coaches, an online ballot of fans and 200 media representatives.
Lewandowski, 32, finished as the top scorer in the league, cup and Champions League. The Poland striker scored 55 goals in just 47 games last season as he helped German giants Bayern to a treble. Lewandowski topped a three-player shortlist that included Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Lewandowski received 52 voting points, with Ronaldo second on 38 Messi third with 35. This is the first time Lewandowski has won the award, with Barcelona forward Messi or Juventus’ Ronaldo usually triumphing.
Manchester City defender Lucy Bronze won the best women’s player award to give England its first individual victory at the FIFA awards. A Champions League winner with Lyon, she has since joined Manchester City. Bronze got 52 points from the women’s voting jury. Pernille Harder, who helped Wolfsburg to the Champions League final, finished second with 40 points and Bronze’s former Lyon teammate Wendi Renard scored 35 points. Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford was recognised at the ceremony with a Fifa Foundation award for his work trying to end child poverty in the UK.
Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to the 2019 World Cup final, was voted the best coach in women’s soccer ahead of Lyon’s Jean-Luc Vasseur and Emma Hayes of Chelsea. Meanwhile, Jürgen Klopp claimed The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Award for the second consecutive year, having steered Liverpool FC to the English Premier League title for the first time, 30 years after their last top-flight success. Son Heung-min’s end-to-end dribble to score for Tottenham against Burnley won the Puskas Award for best goal. Germany and FC Bayern München’s Manuel Neuer was chosen as The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, while France and Olympique Lyonnais’ Sarah Bouhaddi capped her amazing career with The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Award.
