The Best FIFA Men's Player Award 2022: Ranking the top 5 favorites - February 2023

The Best FIFA Men's Player Award honors the best-performing male footballer of the season. While performances between 8 October 2020 and 7 August 2021 were evaluated for the 2021 award, there is a slight change this time around.

This time, a prolonged spell of performances will be recognized, as the award will take into consideration not only the entire 2021-22 season but also the World Cup. The Best FIFA Men's Player Award 2022 will acknowledge accomplishments from 8 August 2021 to 18 December 2022.

The winner of the Best FIFA Men's Player Award is chosen on the basis of an aggregate of votes from fans, journalists, national team captains, and coaches. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top five favorites for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award (2022).

---

#5 Sadio Mane

Mane had an immensely successful 2021-22 season with Liverpool, securing a domestic cup double and coming close to winning another Champions League. The Merseysiders were also in the hunt for the Premier League title until the very last day of the 2021-22 season.

Mane opted for a new challenge this summer by joining Bayern Munich and has done a good job for them so far this term.

Mane was in great form for the Senegal national team in 2022, scoring the decisive penalty during their Africa Cup of Nations victory and contributing generously to their World Cup qualification.

Unfortunately, he was unable to play in the World Cup due to an injury. Mane was recognized as the African Footballer of the Year and received the Player of the Tournament award at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

#4 Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski has won the Best FIFA Men's Player award in the last two years. Could he win a third consecutive award? At an individual level, Lewandowski has done pretty much all he can to make a strong case for himself.

He won the Bundesliga title in the 2021-22 season with Bayern Munich before leaving for Barcelona, where he continues to find the back of the net on a prolific basis. Lewandowski also won the European Golden Shoe last term but had a rather disappointing outing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

50 goals and seven assists in 46 appearances are definitely the kind of numbers that can earn a player one of football's most coveted individual prizes.

#3 Kylian Mbappe

Could Kylian Mbappe's exemplary performances in the 2021-22 season for Paris Saint-Germain and at the 2022 FIFA World Cup help him earn his first Best FIFA Men's Player award? He scored 39 goals and provided 26 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions for the Parisians in the 2021-22 season.

Mbappe not only fired PSG to the Ligue 1 title but was also the top goalscorer and assist provider in the league. The 24-year-old scored eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final, and provided two assists in eight appearances for France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mbappe won the Golden Boot at the tournament.

He has been on fire this term as well and has been prolific in front of goal for the reigning Ligue 1 champions.

#2 Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema produced a string of great performances for Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the 2021-22 Champions League. His individual performances helped fire Real Madrid to the Champions League and La Liga titles last term.

However, an injury kept him out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and that ought to severely hamper his chances of winning the Best FIFA Men's Player Award this year. The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 46 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid last season.

#1 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is the favorite to win the Best FIFA Men's Player Award. He effectively completed football in 2022 by winning the World Cup. Messi won the Golden Ball awarded to the best player in the tournament after scoring seven goals and providing three assists in eight appearances.

He has also become Argentina's all-time top scorer in the World Cup. Messi has been in terrific form for PSG as well so far this term and is most likely to win his second Best FIFA Men's Player Award.