The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony is all set to take place in Paris on Monday (February 27) night. Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, his PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema are in the race for the Men's Best Player award. However, ahead of the actual ceremony, the winner of the award has been reportedly leaked. Lionel Messi Scores 700th Goal of His Club Career; Joins Cristiano Ronaldo in Elite List.

According to a report from Argentine journalist Francesc Aguilar, PSG forward Lionel Messi is all set to win The Best FIFA Men's Player 2022 award.

The report further suggests that this will be a big statement against French outlet L'Equipe and France Football who did not keep the Argentine forward in the top thirty of the Ballon d'Or 2022 rankings.

Messi had a brilliant season with his national team Argentina. He led his country to the FIFA World Cup 2022 title. He scored seven goals and dished out three assists in the World Cup and also won the Golden Ball award for being the best player of the tournament. Apart from that, Messi has also found his form in club football and is one of the most important players for Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile, his PSG  teammate Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot award in the FIFA World Cup 2022 and scored a hat-trick in the final. Mbappe also had a terrific season in club football. Marseille 0–3 PSG, Ligue 1 2022–23: Kylian Mbappe Becomes Joint Top Scorer of Paris Saint-Germain With His 200th Goal for the Club (Watch Goal Video Highlights).

On the other hand, Karim Benzema led Real Madrid to a UEFA Champions League and La Liga double. Benzema also won the Ballon d'Or 2022 and is in the form of his life.

Overall all three of them are coming up with great performances. If Messi wins this award, this is going to be the second time for him after 2019. The Argentine forward is also a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 27, 2023 02:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).