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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Argentina forward Lionel Messi reacted with joy after winning his seventh FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year award. The iconic attacker beat his club teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to the award.
Messi won the award for the first time since 2019. He was delighted to be named FIFA's Player of the Year, attributing it to winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said (via Albiceleste Talk):
“The World Cup win was the best thing that happened to my career, Thanks to God who helped me to achieve it after so many years of trying.”
Lionel Messi has enjoyed one of the best years of his career. He lifted the Ligue 1 title last May with PSG, scoring 11 goals and providing 15 assists in 34 games across competitions.
However, the Argentine great's triumph in Qatar with his country will live long in the memory. He captained La Abiceleste to the FIFA World Cup. Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists in seven games. The Parisian attacker was awarded the Golden Ball for his mesmerizing performances in the Middle East.
The Barcelona icon is still turning back the years and is enjoying a stellar season with PSG. He has scored 17 goals and contributed 16 assists in 28 matches so far this campaign.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola explains the differences between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland
Lionel Messi emerged as one of the greatest players in history when playing under Guardiola for Barcelona. He scored a remarkable 211 goals and contributed 94 assists in 219 games under the Spanish coach.
The Argentine is perhaps the best player that Guardiola has ever coached, but he has a new free-scoring forward in his ranks. Haaland joined City from Borussia Dortmund last summer and has been irrepressible for the Cityzens. The Norweigan has scored 33 goals in just 33 matches in all competitions this term.
Guardiola has explained that Haaland relies on the team while Messi can change games on his own. He told Football Daily:
“[Haaland] needs the team to score the goals. He’s not like Messi, like he can go and get the ball, dribble past three or four [players]. He can decide the game for himself."
Guardiola added:
“Erling needs the team. It’s not all about him. We have to find, I have to find, the way, to the players, ‘guys, in this type of situations, he’s there’.”
Haaland has a long way to go in reaching Lionel Messi's level during his career. However, under Guardiola's management, there is no better coach to help him attempt to do so.
