Messi, Mbappé and Hakimi rewarded
Lionel Messi won the FIFA The Best 2022 award for best player of the year. Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi were also rewarded for their performances and feature in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 alongside the Argentine striker.
Three Parisians were honoured during the evening.
Lionel Messi was awarded the FIFA Best Male Player award. The three finalists also included Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema. The World Cup winner was named FIFA's best male player after an outstanding year with Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentine national team. In total, the Parisian striker scored 29 goals and provided 20 assists in 2022.
In addition to being named the 2022 Player of the Year, the No.30 is also featured in the FIFPRO Men's World 11.
"I am really happy to win this award again," said Lionel Messi. "This is one of the biggest prizes that all players want to win. The World Cup was the only trophy I was missing. It's a really special moment tonight, in a very special year."
Kylian Mbappé's 2022 was breathtaking. He too was a World Cup finalist and finished as top scorer in the competition, the club from the capital's No.7 finished as top scorer in 2022 with 56 goals in all competitions.
This performance has earned him a place in the FIFPRO Men's World 11, just like the Parisian fullback Achraf Hakimi, who led his Moroccan team to the semi-finals of the World Cup.