Former Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has clinched The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award for 2022.
Messi capped off an incredible 12 months with his first win in the award since 2019 after finishing in second and third in the following years.
The veteran forward finally achieved his lifelong goal of winning a World Cup after inspiring Argentina to glory in Qatar at the end of 2022.
This win makes Messi the most successful player in the history of the award, including its previous incarnations, the FIFA World Player from 1991 to 2009, and FIFA Ballon d’Or from 2010 to 2015, with seven in total.
Messi is yet to make a decision on his future, for both club and country, with his Paris Saint-Germain contract set to expire in June, and no agreement over an extension.
The 35-year-old stated his intention to continue to captain Argentina ahead of the 2024 Copa America with the potential of a swansong at the 2026 World Cup.
