Messi chosen as best footballer of 2022 International Football Federation Hory and Statics, Mbappe second in the tally
Having led Argentina to their third World Cup win, first in 26 years, Lionel Messi has been chosen as the best player for the calendar year of 2022 the International Football Federation Hory and Statics (IFFHS). The 35-year-old won the crown a whooping 275 points.
Second in the tally is Kylian Mbappe, who became only the first man to score a hattrick in the World Cup final after Geoff Hurst in 1966. The Frenchman secured 35 points in the tally. Swiftly behind him are Karim Benzema (30), Luka Modric (15) and Erling Haaland (5).
Messi finished the year with 55 goal contributions in the 2022, including 35 goals and 30 asss for club and country. At the World Cup, the Argentine scored seven goals and assed thrice at Qatar to win the golden ball for the second time in his career. Messi had also won the player of the tournament award back in 2014 when Argentina lost in the final to Germany.
On Wednesday, Messi was welcomed his Paris Saint Germain teammates and staff upon his arrival from Argentina for the first time since winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. He was given a guard of honor the group of players and staff, apart from a memento.
After the tournament in Qatar, Messi had missed out on the first two Ligue 1 games for PSG, one of which displayed Racing Club de Lens handing the French champions their first defeat of the season, a 3-1 whooping. However, PSG remains top of Ligue 1 with 44 points and Lens is four points behind them in second place.
Messi will be available for his side’s league fixture against Chateauroux on Friday.