Doha (The Hawk): After an exhilarating championship match in which Argentina defeated France on penalties, the awards for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 were also made public. Argentina's Lionel Messi was named the tournament's best player.
The Argentine attacker took home the Adidas Golden Ball, which is given by the FIFA Technical Study Group to the finest player (TSG).
Luka Modric of Croatia and Kylian Mbappe of France finished second and third, respectively.
Golden Ball -- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Messi's World Cup was this one, and when he was proclaimed the champion, that fact was officially confirmed.
The 35-year-old finally won the biggest award in football, scoring seven goals on the way to raising the trophy into the night sky above Qatar.
He won the individual award a second time and made history by becoming the first man to score in the last 16, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final of the same edition.
Kylian Mbappe won the Adidas Golden Boot with 8 goals and 2 assists. The Silver Boot went to Lionel Messi, and the Bronze to France's Olivier Giroud.
Argentina's Emiliano Martinez received the Adidas Golden Glove, and England received the FIFA Fair Play award.
Golden Boot -- Kylian Mbappe (France)
Prior to their matchup in Lusail, the France forward and Messi were tied on five goals each. He would go on to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final, being the first person to do so since Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966. He did this by saving two penalties and scoring a beautiful goal to force extra time.
With eight goals throughout the finals, he matched Ronaldo's total from 2002, but it was not enough for France to keep the Cup. At the age of 23, Mbappe may still have plenty of goals left in him.
Young Player award -- Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)
There were many candidates for Qatar's top young player. Had England not been defeated in the quarterfinals, Aurelien Tchouameni of France and Jude Bellingham would also have been contenders.
However, Fernandez, a combative and persistent midfielder who is also adept in possession, and a driving force in Lionel Scaloni's Argentina at the youthful age of 21, was outstanding throughout the finals.
Golden Glove -- Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)
The Aston Villa goalkeeper saved two penalties in Argentina's victories over the Netherlands and the Netherlands again in the final against France, stopping Kingsley Coman's attempt to give his team the advantage.
His presence was also undeniable, and he brilliantly stopped Randal Kolo Muani one-on-one to save France from pulling off a thrilling comeback victory.
Fair Play award -- England
In the end, England did not leave Qatar empty-handed.
The team of Gareth Southgate completed the group stage without receiving even a single caution, and they continued this streak when they defeated Senegal 3-0 in the round of 16.
Only in their quarterfinal loss to France did they cause the referee any trouble, as Manchester United captain Harry Maguire received a warning as time ran out and England was trying to win the game.
(Inputs from Agencies)
