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Lionel Messi was named FIFA player of the year on Monday after winning his maiden World Cup title with Argentina in December in Qatar. The 35-year-old forward scored two goals in the World Cup final, which Argentina won on penalties against France following a 3-3 draw after extra time.
Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi was named the best player in men’s football by FIFA at the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris on Tuesday. Messi outclassed his Paris Saint Germain (PSG) teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema to lift the famous trophy at Salle Pleyel in Paris.
Messi was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player award winner for his outstanding performance in men’s football from 8 August 2021 to 18 December 2022.
What a night! 😍
Congratulations to all the winners at this year's #TheBest FIFA Football Awards 🏆
Find out who won in each category at the awards ceremony in Paris:
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) February 27, 2023
The PSG superstar lifted the famous trophy for the second time at Salle Pleyel in Paris, tying Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski for the most impressive feat at the FIFA awards. After working with the Ballon d’Or for five years, FIFA gave the prize for the first time in its current form in 2016. The 35-year-old won the Best FIFA Men’s Player award in 2019 at Barcelona, where he won many trophies.
Messi showed up at the FIFA gala for the first time in 2007. The former captain of Barcelona came in second in the FIFA World Player of the Year voting, behind Kaka. Lionel Messi was named the FIFA player of the year for the seventh time on Tuesday in Paris. This was 15 years after he first won the award. Messi won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He is one of the most decorated soccer players in history.
