Lionel Messi beat France's Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to clinch the laurel. The Argentine star scored seven goals in the side's World Cup triumph, missing out on the golden boot by just one goal.
World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi took home the award for the Best International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Men's Player following Argentina's historic World Cup 2022 triumph, at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 held in Paris on Monday, February 27.
The talismanic striker beat France's Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to clinch the laurel. The Argentine star scored seven goals in the side's World Cup triumph, missing out on the golden boot by just one goal.
This was the PSG star's second FIFA Best title, his first coming in 2019. Messi has also won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards.
1. Lionel Messi holds the record of the all-time top goal-scorer in a calendar year
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In 2012, with 91 goals, Messi became the all-time top scorer in a calendar year. The record is yet to be broken.
2. Lionel Messi's distinctive quadruple
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The former FC Barcelona star, 2009/10 season, became the only player in the history of club football to win the Golden Boot, Pichichi Trophy, FIFA World Player, and Ballon d'Or in the same season.
3. Lionel Messi has won Ballon d'Or Award 7 times
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Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or Award a record 7 times in his career. Messi won it from 2009 to 2012 and then again in 2015, 2019 and 2021.
4. Lionel Messi matches Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski's records
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Lionel Messi's FIFA Award win is the second time Lionel Messi has won FIFA's The Best men's player since its rebranding in 2016. His second win see him match with Cristiano Ronaldo (2016, 2017) and Robert Lewandowski (2020, 2021).
5. Lionel Messi has won FIFA Golden Ball award twice
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Lionel Messi has won the Golden Ball award, becoming the first player in history to receive the prize twice, after first winning it in Brazil in 2014.
