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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi is reportedly the favorite to win The Best FIFA Men's Player Award 2022.
The Argentine icon is named alongside 13 other nominees for the coveted individual prize, which will be handed out at FIFA The Best gala in Paris on 27 February. The other nominees are:
Julian Alvarez, Jude Bellingham, Karim Benzema, Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Achraf Hakimi, Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, Neymar Jr., Mohamed Salah, Vinicius Junior.
According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Lionel Messi is expected to lift the award in Paris. Since its inception in 2016, the award has been won by the PSG playmaker just once before (2019).
Robert Lewandowski has won the last two editions of The Best FIFA Men's Player Award. Lionel Messi looks odds on to prevent the Barcelona striker from completing a hat-trick of wins.
He finally laid his hands on the FIFA World Cup trophy with Argentina, doing so in Qatar last year. Messi starred at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with seven goals and three assists in seven games and won the Golden Ball trophy.
He has also enjoyed a superb season with PSG so far, registering 16 goals and 14 assists in 27 games across competitions. Not many will argue if the former Barcelona forward does win the award this Monday (27 February).
The 35-year-old is, for many, the favorite to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or award as well. Lionel Messi has won that trophy a record seven times already.
Xavi open to Lionel Messi's return to Barcelona from PSG
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has claimed that the club are in permanent contact with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Lionel Messi.
The Argentine spent 21 years at Barca before leaving on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. He could now leave the Parc des Princes as a free agent this summer if a new contract isn't agreed upon.
Xavi and Messi enjoyed a successful spell with the Blaugrana as teammates. They played 399 games for the senior team over a span of 11 years and won numerous trophies together, including four Champions League titles.
Hence, it isn't a surprise that the Spanish tactician is open to reuniting with his old teammate. Speaking to reporters, Xavi recently admitted (h/t @Fabrizio Romano):
"Messi knows that Barcelona is his home and the doors are open, I said this many times. He’s my friend — we are in permanent contact, a potential return will only depend on him. Leo is the best player in history, he'd always fit in.
