Unlucky hero of the World Cup final, Kylian Mbappé finished in second place in the election of the best player, in the wake of Lionel Messi. Karim Benzema is further away.
Karim Benzema’s repeated exploits with Real Madrid, whether in La Liga and especially in the Champions League, were no match for the power of the World Cup. Absent in Qatar, the French indeed had to settle for third place in the FIFA The Best trophy for the best player and a presence in the eleven of the year designated by FIFPro.
But while in Madrid, we imagined him achieving the double four months after his coronation at the Ballon d’Or, the former Lyonnais did not weigh in the eyes of the voters – captains, journalists, coaches and Internet users – against to the two main protagonists of the World Cup final in Qatar. With a total of 34 points, Karim Benzema is indeed a good distance from Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
Unsurprisingly winner of The Best Trophy, the Argentinian ends the ballot with 52 points and Kylian Mbappé, who made an impression with his hat-trick in the World Cup final, indeed follows with 44 units on the clock.
At the foot of the podium is Luka Modric with 28 points, Erling Haaland completing the Top 5 with 24 points, just ahead of Sadio Mané, 19 points, Julian Alvarez, seventh in the ballot with 17 points. Two PSG players follow: Neymar and Achraf Hakimi with 15 and 13 points respectively, while Kevin de Bruyne closes the Top 10.
Sadio Mane finishes 6th in the final FIFA rankings #THEBEST pic.twitter.com/T8IepOw52L
— Galsenfoot (@Galsenfootsn) February 27, 2023
