Lionel Messi voted best footballer of 2022 after FIFA World Cup win as Cristiano Ronaldo’s ranking reveals his decline

Argentine sensation Lionel Messi was voted the best male footballer of 2022 by The Guardian, while his longtime on-field rival Cristiano Ronaldo did not make it into the top 50.

Throughout the year, Lionel Messi not only contributed to his team's success but also demonstrated remarkable individual performances. He topped Ligue 1 in assists and was an integral part of Paris Saint-Germain's success in domestic competitions. The forward's leadership and skill in creating and scoring goals in the FIFA World Cup also guided Argentina to the coveted trophy.

These achievements have earned Lionel Messi the distinction of being the best player of 2022, and his contributions to the sport have been widely recognized.

In rather sharp contrast to his accomplishments in prior years, Cristiano Ronaldo had a difficult year. After a strong beginning to the season, the 37-year-old was dropped by Manchester United's manager Erik ten Hag and his contract was eventually terminated.

Notably, the Portugal international was the only free agent at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which did little to aid his 51st rank on The Guardian's list. He eventually went on to join Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, but his performance there has fallen short of his usual standard.

In their most recent game, Cristiano Ronaldo was met with criticism and taunts from opponents' supporters, and the forward is yet to score a goal for his new club in competitive play. He also conducted an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, which arguably tarnished his reputation, and saw him leave Manchester United.

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Apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, these are some other players on the list

Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, Robert Lewandowski, Vinicius Jr., Thibaut Courtois and Mohamed Salah all featured in the top 10 players of the year. Each of them had an impressive season. Haaland's prolific goal-scoring and De Bruyne's creative playmaking for Manchester City were recognized.

In Real Madrid, Courtois' top-notch goalkeeping, Modric's commanding midfield presence and Vinicius Jr's speed and dribbling were certainly helpful in their Champions League win last year. Salah remains one of Liverpool's best players, having guided them to the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last season. Lewandowski's unwavering goal-scoring for Bayern Munich has undoubtedly continued with Barcelona.

Other players included Cody Gakpo, Julian Alvarez, Alisson, Martin Odegaard, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcus Rashford. Darwin Nunez also made the list alongside Lisandro Martinez and Declan Rice in 88th place.