February 07, (THEWILL) – Lionel Messi has been named the World’s Best Player for 2022 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
Messi, who won the World Cup in Qatar, received 275 points in the voting poll, 240 points ahead of second place nominee Kylian Mbappé. The French wonderboy received 35 points, with his French counterpart Karim Benzema placed third with 30 points.
2022 was a banner year for the 35-year-old Messi, who broke numerous records and finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists in seven appearances. He won the Golden Ball award and was one of three Argentina players to play in every single minute of the tournament, clocking 690 minutes. During that time, Messi completed 347 passes, made five tackles, and attempted 32 shots.
On the club level, Messi has been instrumental in helping Paris Saint-Germain become UEFA Champions League contenders. With 10 goals and 10 assists in 18 games, he holds a record for his club. As THEWILL reported over the weekend, Messi struck in the second half to secure a 2-1 comeback win against Toulouse.
PSG manager, Christophe Galtier, has praised Messi’s performance and asked his team to work hard to give the star freedom on the pitch. The team’s next challenge is a crucial UCL Round of 16 match against Bayern Munich.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
