FIFA has revealed details of the voting by national team coaches and captains for "The Best" award for the world's best player in 2022, the ceremony for which was held in Paris. The spotlight was on the choices of French coach Hervé Renard, who was then the manager of the Saudi Arabian national team, as his list clearly showed a preference for his compatriots.
Renard's choices and national bias
According to official FIFA records, Hervé Renard placed French star Kylian Mbappé first in his selections. His compatriot, Karim Benzema , then a Real Madrid striker, came in second. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski . Notably, Renard's list omitted Argentine Lionel Messi, who ultimately won the award, reflecting either a particular technical perspective or perhaps a bias towards the French players who had delivered exceptional performances.
Historical context and the importance of "The Best" award
The Best FIFA Football Awards are among the most prestigious individual awards in world football. Launched in their current format in 2016, they followed FIFA's separation from the Ballon d'Or, awarded by France Football magazine. The award's voting system is based on four equally weighted categories (25% each): national team captains, national team coaches, a panel of selected media representatives from around the world, and online public voting. This system gives the award a global reach and widespread popularity.
The impact of the 2022 World Cup on voting
The 2022 edition of the award was particularly significant, as it covered the period of performances that included the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The tournament played a crucial role in determining the winner. Lionel Messi's victory was primarily driven by his historic leadership of Argentina to the World Cup title. Similarly, Hervé Renard's selection of Kylian Mbappé as the top scorer was also logical, given the French star's exceptional performance in the tournament, including a hat-trick in the final and the Golden Boot award. Karim Benzema, despite missing the World Cup due to injury, was a strong contender in the eyes of many, including Renard, thanks to his legendary performances with Real Madrid and his 2022 Ballon d'Or win.
A final chapter in Renard's journey with the Greens
This vote came during the final period of Hervé Renard's tenure with the Saudi national team, a period that saw them achieve a historic victory over Argentina in their opening match of the World Cup. A few months after the awards ceremony, specifically in March 2023, Renard announced his departure from coaching the Saudi national team to take over as coach of the French women's national team, thus closing a significant chapter in his coaching career and in the history of Saudi football.
