Lionel Messi caps 'tremendous year' with Best Fifa Player of the Year 2022 award

Messi, 35, scored two goals in the final against France, with Argentina emerging triumphant on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time in Qatar

Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain FC with his the Best FIFA Men's Player Award on stage during the The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 ceremony in Paris, France, 27 February 2023. EPA / YOAN VALAT

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi are seen with their trophies after being included in the Fifa Fifpro Men's World 11 2022 squad. Getty

Argentina's Lionel Messi receives the Best Fifa Men's player award from Fifa president Gianni Infantino. AP

Lionel Messi speaks to the audience after being awarded with the Best Fifa Men's Payer 2022. Getty

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain, Casemiro of Manchester United and Yassine Bounou of Sevilla with their Fifa Fifpro Men's World 11 Award on stage. EPA

Lionel Messi shakes hands with Gianni Infantino, president of Fifa. Getty

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni wins the Best Men's Coach award. AFP

Alexi Putellas poses with the Best Fifa Women's Player 2022 award. Getty

Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, right, is congratulated by Lionel Messi after receiving the Best Fifa Men’s Goalkeeper award. EPA

Argentina's Lionel Messi and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo. EPA

England and Arsenal forward Beth Mead receives an award for the Fifa Fifpro Women's World 11. AFP

England's Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman receives the Best Fifa Women’s Coach award. AFP

England and Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps delivers a speech. AFP

Marcin Oleksy speaks to the audience after receiving the Fifa Puskas Award 2022. Getty Images

Spain and Barcelona forward Alexia Putellas poses on stage after receiving the Best Fifa Women’s Player award. AFP

France and Olympique Lyonnais defender Wendie Renard receives and award for the Fifa Fifpro Women's World 11. AFP

Marcia Aoki, widow to Pele, is presented with the Best Fifa Award by Ronaldo. Getty

Argentina supporter El Tula delivers a speech as he received for Argentina supporters the Best Fifa Fan Award. AFP

Lionel Messi beat out Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe to be crowned Fifa Player of the Year 2022 on Monday as Argentina scooped all major men's awards after winning a vintage World Cup final last December.

Messi, 35, scored two goals in the final against France, with the South Americans emerging triumphant on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time in Qatar. He also converted his penalty in the shoot-out.

"It's amazing. It was a tremendous year and it is an honour for me to be here tonight and win this award", said Messi, who sat next to France forward Mbappe throughout the ceremony at Paris's Salle Pleyel.

Mbappe, also nominated for the highly anticipated award of the night, netted a hat-trick in the World Cup final but his achievement was overshadowed as Messi finally won the most coveted trophy in world football.

"I want to express my thanks to [coach Lionel] Scaloni and my teammates, without them I would not be here," Messi added.

"I achieved a dream I had been hoping for so long and finally I achieved it. It's a dream for any player, very few people can achieve that and I was lucky enough to do so."

His compatriots Lionel Scaloni and Emiliano Martinez won the coach of the year and keeper of the year awards respectively, and their supporters even got the best fans prize, while England were rewarded for their victorious women's Euro 2022 campaign.

Mary Earps was named keeper of the year and England's Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman received the accolade for best coach of a team who had four players in the year's World 11 - Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh.

Spain's Alexia Putellas, who won the Ballon d'Or last year, was named women's player of the year after inspiring Barcelona to a third consecutive national title in 2022.

Polish amputee Marcin Oleksy won the Puskas prize for best goal of the year for a spectacular acrobatic volley with Warta Poznan against Stal Rzeszow. (