Lewandowski, Bronze win FIFA Best Awards

• Klopp named best coach as Son Heung-min wins Puskas Award
Bayern Munich striker, Robert Lewandowski, beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to be named FIFA Best Men’s Player for 2020, while England’s Lucy Bronze took the women’s award.

Lewandowski was recognised for his terrific season as part of Bayern Munich’s treble-winning side, while Bronze – who re-joined Man City in the summer – beat off competition from Chelsea’s Pernille Harder and former Lyon teammate Wendie Renard after helping the French club win a fifth straight Champions League title.

At the virtual ceremony in Zurich, FIFA paid tribute to Diego Maradona and Paolo Rossi, two legends of the game who passed away recently.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was named the men’s coach of the year, while Tottenham’s Son Heung-min’s sublime individual goal against Burnley last December was adjudged the best in the world over the last year.

Klopp became the first to win the award twice, beating Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa and Bayern Munich’s treble-winning manager Hans-Dieter Flick.

Having won last year following the Reds’ Champions League triumph, Klopp was presented with the award again after ending Liverpool’s long wait for a Premier League title.

Klopp gave credit to his coaching team, saying: “I have to thank these boys. What we did in the last few years was really special.”

On the Premier League title, the German added: “I had no idea how it would feel and it felt absolutely overwhelming.”

On his way to scoring the best goal of the year, Son Heung-min picked up the ball on the edge of his own area during the 5-0 Premier League win before running through the entire Burnley team and slotting past Nick Pope.

The South Korean beat efforts from Luiz Suarez for Barcelona and Flamengo’s Giorgian De Arrascaeta, as well as Dundalk’s Jordan Flores to win the Puskas Award at FIFA’s The Best ceremony.

The award, first established in 2009, is named after former Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas. Son follows in the footsteps of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, James Rodriguez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mohamed Salah in claiming the award.

Three Liverpool title winners made the men’s world XI – goalkeeper Alisson Becker and defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk. They were joined by summer signing Thiago Alcantara, while Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne was also named in the side.

Others are Ramos, Davies, Kimmich, Messi, Lewandowski and Ronaldo. England defensive duo Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright were both named in the global best women’s XI. They were joined by Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema, Manchester United’s Tobin Heath and Pernille Harder of Chelsea, as well as Endler, Renard, Bright, Boquete, Bonansea, Rapinoe and Cascarino.

England full-back Lucy Bronze was named the women’s player of the year.