Lionel Messi won the 2022 Fifa Player of the Year award on Monday, as Argentina scooped all major awards following their World Cup triumph last December.
Messi, 35, scored seven goals in Qatar, including a brace in the 3-3 final against France before their penalty shootout victory.
Having beaten out competition from Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and PSG teammate and France’s World Cup final hattrick hero Kylian Mbappe, Messi was joined by Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez by winning their categories too.
Lionel Messi picks up his second #TheBest FIFA Men’s Player Award 🐐![CDATA[]]>🐐 pic.twitter.com/9J16RZTSvU
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) February 27, 2023
Messi, who reached 700 club goals on duty for PSG Sunday, says of his award: “It’s amazing. It was a tremendous year.
“I want to express my thanks to [coach Lionel) Scaloni and my teammates, without them I would not be here.
“I achieved a dream I had been hoping for so long and finally I achieved it.”
The former Barcelona superstar was also named in the Fifa Fifpro Men’s World 11 for a record 16th time.
Fifpro Men’s World 11
Nothing but ballers ⚽🤩
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) February 27, 2023
Here is the 2022 FIFA FIFPRO Men's World XI 👇 | #TheBest pic.twitter.com/sAiD66JgGG
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Achraf Hakimi and Virgil van Dijk.
Midfielders: Casemiro, Kevin de Bruyne andLuka Modric.
Forwards: Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
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