Zurich, Dec 18 (IANS): Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski on Thursday beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win The Best FIFA Men's Player award. Manchester City and England defender Lucy Bronze, meanwhile won the The Best FIFA Women's player award. The award ceremony was a virtual event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both players are winning the award for the first time in their careers. While Bronze is the fifth player to win the award that has been won by a different player each year in the women's category since it was conferred to USA's Carli Lloyd, Lewandowski is the third to win the award after Ronaldo, Messi and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.
Both Lewandowski and Bronze were also included in the men's and women's World 11 respectively.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp won the Best Men's Coach award while Netherlands women's national-team boss Sarina Wiegman won the Best Women's Coach award for the second time in her career.
Lewandowski's Bayern team mate and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was chosen as The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper, while France and Olympique Lyonnais's Sarah Bouhaddi capped her amazing career with The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper Award. Bouhaddi had earlier lobbied for the creation of the award.
Categories and Winners:
Men's Player: Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
Women's Player: Lucy Bronze (England/Lyon)
Women's Coach: Sarina Wiegman (The Netherlands)
Men's Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Women's Goalkeeper: Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon)
Men's Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Germany/Bayern Munich)
FIFPRO Women's World11:
Christiane Endler (Chile) (GK); Lucy Bronze (England), Wendie Renard (France), Millie Bright (England), Delphine Cascarino (France); Barbara Bonansea(Italy), Veronica Boquete (Italy), Megan Rapinoe (USA); Pernille Harder(Denmark), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands), Tobin Heath (USA).
FIFPRO Men's World11:
Alisson Becker (Brazil) (GK); Trent-Alexander Arnold (England), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Alphoso Davies (Canada); Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium), Thiago Alcantara (Spain), Joshua Kimmich (Germany); Lionel Messi (Argentina), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
FIFA Puskas Award: Son Heung-Min (Tottenham vs Burnley)
FIFA Fair Play Award: Italy's Mattia Agnese, 17, who helped an opponent who lost consciousness during a game.
FIFA Fan Award: Marivaldo Francisco da Silva, a super fan of Brazilian club Sport Club do Recife, who has never missed a home game and takes a 60-km walk to reach the club's stadium for every game.