The Best Fifa Football Awards: Lewandowski and Putellas win player gongs – as it happened!
Robet Lewandowski and Alexia Putellas were the big winners on the night
Mon 17 Jan 2022 14.31 EST
First published on Mon 17 Jan 2022 12.30 ESTLive feed
Thank you very much for joining me, I think we can all agree it was a riveting night of expensive outfits and shiny trophies.
The presenters sign off and there is more high fiving between Infantino and Ronaldo. There also seems to be an applause machine on as I can’t see an audience.
We exit with a video praising Qatar, obviously.
Infantino gets a hug from Big Ron.
Ronaldo thanks his international teammates past and present. He moves on to praising his family.
Ronaldo says he plays to entertain himself. He feels good and motivated, which is a relief for Ralf Rangnick.
Fifa Special Award
Cristiano Ronaldo has turned up in person to receive his award. He hasn’t got much on at the moment.
“Fifa Best awards are as reliable as Boris Johnson’s next cockup,” writes Yash Gupta. “Still Lamela and Rabona won which is highly unusual. Someone must be drunk in Fifa garden for giving that award to Lamela who really deserved it.”
We now get a montage of Ronaldo goals.
Oh ... there is one more award for Cristiano Ronaldo for some reason or other. Is it for his great Instagram posts?
Great that Infantino gets to announce the two biggest awards of the night, he’s really deserved it.
The Pole is handed the award by a man in a mask. He is “very proud” of his latest triumph.
The Best Men's Player Award
Robert Lewandowski wins!
To the men’s award. Your nominees ...
- Robert Lewandowski (Poland and Bayern Munich)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona and PSG)
- Mo Salah (Egypt and Liverpool )
You will be pleased to know it was Infantino with the shiny envelope. What an honour for Putellas to have her name read out by the great man.
The Best Women's Player award
Alexia Putellas wins!
We now do reach the Best Women’s Player award. Your nominees ...
- Jennifer Hermoso (Spain and Barcelona)
- Alexia Putellas (Spain and Barcelona)
- Sam Kerr (Australia and Chelsea)
“Hi Will,” says Robbie Hiller, “please let me know when someone wears something worth noting. Fabulous coverage, Robbie.”
It was all downhill after Yaya’s tux. Bonucci has some nice velvet on.
In the Women’s team they completely missed out the three nominees for the Best player of the year award. I am so confused.
Garth Crooks is picking these teams, isn’t he?
The Men’s team is in the classic 3-3-4 formation: Donnarumma, Alaba, Bonucci, Ruben Dias, Jorginho, Kante, Kevin de Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo, Haaland, Lewandowski, Messi
The Best Men’s team as Donnarumma in net. He didn’t even win the Best goalkeeper award ...
The Women’s XI does not include any Barcelona players, which is pretty ruddy hilarious. Who picked it?
We have the Best Men’s XI coming up with Lothar Matthaus and Arsene Wenger. Some more banal Jenas questions delay the announcement.
Before we get to the best individual, the finest XI of the year is announced.
Best XI: Endler, Bronze, Renard, Bright, Eriksson, Banini, Lloyd, Bonansea, Miedema, Marta, Alex Morgan
Soon it’ll be time for the Best Women’s player. Your nominees:
- Jennifer Hermoso (Spain and Barcelona)
- Alexia Putellas (Spain and Barcelona)
- Sam Kerr (Australia and Chelsea)
The Best Fifa Fan Award
The winner is the Denmark and Finland fans for their response following Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest. Both sets of supporters spent a long time chanting Eriksen’s name while he was treated on the pitch.
Jenas has said “I totally agree” in response to everything said by guests tonight. What a reassuring presence he is.
Next up is the Fifa Fan Award. Julio Cesar comes on to present. I hope I win.
That’s three wins for Chelsea today as they pick up the BEST goalkeeper and both coach awards.
Thomas Tuchel decked in a Chelsea hoodie. Tuchel says winning is “pretty surreal” and he “feels pretty uncomfortable”.
The Best Men's Coach
Thomas Tuchel wins the award.
Your nominees in this category:
- Pep Guardiola (Man City)
- Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
- Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Everyone wheeled out needs to praise Fifa for a few seconds before getting on with the real business. Wenger is aiming to make coaching better around the world, you will be pleased to know.