Having led Argentina to their third World Cup win, first in 26 years, Lionel Messi has been chosen as the very best participant for the calendar yr of 2022 by the Worldwide Soccer Federation Historical past and Statistics (IFFHS). The 35-year-old received the crown by a whooping 275 factors.
Second within the tally is Kylian Mbappe, who grew to become solely the primary man to attain a hattrick within the World Cup closing after Geoff Hurst in 1966. The Frenchman secured 35 factors within the tally. Swiftly behind him are Karim Benzema (30), Luka Modric (15) and Erling Haaland (5).
Messi completed the yr with 55 aim contributions within the 2022, together with 35 targets and 30 assists for membership and nation. On the World Cup, the Argentine scored seven targets and assisted thrice at Qatar to win the golden ball for the second time in his profession. Messi had additionally received the participant of the event award again in 2014 when Argentina misplaced within the closing to Germany.
On Wednesday, Messi was welcomed by his Paris Saint Germain teammates and workers upon his arrival from Argentina for the primary time since profitable the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. He was given a guard of honor by the group of gamers and workers, other than a memento.
After the event in Qatar, Messi had missed out on the primary two Ligue 1 video games for PSG, certainly one of which displayed Racing Membership de Lens handing the French champions their first defeat of the season, a 3-1 whooping. Nonetheless, PSG stays prime of Ligue 1 with 44 factors and Lens is 4 factors behind them in second place.
Messi might be accessible for his aspect’s league fixture in opposition to Chateauroux on Friday.