He’s done it again. At 35, Lionel Messi has just added another accolade to his already brilliant résumé. Unsurprisingly, the Argentine superstar won The Best award from FIFA due to his fantastic level in 2022.
Last year, Messi silenced all his doubters by leading Argentina to a long-awaited World Cup success in Qatar. In one of the greatest performances ever seen by any player in sports history, the PSG star did it all for his nation. Besides, he also turned up his level for Paris Saint-Germain after a lackluster first year in the French capital.
That’s why Messi had the upper hand over Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe, who were also on the shortlist. With this recent recognition, many wonder how many awards he has won so far.
Lionel Messi wins The Best: List of individual awards by years and age
Lionel Messi has seen both collective and individual success throughout his unbelievable career. He received his first Ballon d’Or award at only 22 years of age, and eventually set arecord by winning it on six more occasions.
Of course, his greatness earned him many other prizes. Lionel Messi has so far won 53 individual awards, including his latest The Best in 2022. These are all the accolades he picked up through the years.
| Award | Year | Messi’s age at the time |
| Golden Boy | 2005 | 18 |
| FIFA FIFPro | 2006 | 19 |
| Bravo Award | 2007 | 20 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2008-09 | 21 |
| UEFA Champions League Top Scorer | 2008-09 | 21 |
| Ballon d’Or | 2009 | 22 |
| FIFA World Player | 2009 | 22 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2009-10 | 22 |
| UEFA Champions League Top Scorer | 2009-10 | 22 |
| Onze d’Or | 2009 | 22 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2009-10 | 22 |
| European Golden Shoe | 2009-10 | 22 |
| Ballon d’Or | 2010 | 23 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2010-11 | 23 |
| UEFA Champions League Top Scorer | 2010-11 | 23 |
| Men’s Player of the Year | 2010-11 | 23 |
| Ballon d’Or | 2011 | 24 |
| Onze d’Or | 2011 | 24 |
| European Golden Shoe | 2011-12 | 24 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2011-12 | 24 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2011-12 | 24 |
| UEFA Champions League Top Scorer | 2011-12 | 24 |
| Ballon d’Or | 2012 | 25 |
| European Golden Shoe | 2012-13 | 25 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2012-13 | 25 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2012-13 | 25 |
| Onze d’Or | 2012 | 25 |
| World Cup Golden Ball | 2014 | 27 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2014-15 | 27 |
| UEFA Champions League | 2014-15 | 27 |
| Men’s Player of the Year | 2014-15 | 27 |
| Ballon d’Or | 2015 | 28 |
| MVP Copa America | 2015 | 28 |
| European Golden Shoe | 2016-17 | 29 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2016-17 | 29 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2016-17 | 29 |
| European Golden Shoe | 2017-18 | 30 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2017-18 | 30 |
| MVP LaLiga Top Scorer | 2017-18 | 30 |
| Onze d’Or | 2018 | 31 |
| European Golden Shoe | 2018-19 | 31 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2018-19 | 31 |
| MVP LaLiga | 2018-19 | 31 |
| UEFA Champions League Top Scorer | 2018-19 | 31 |
| Ballon d’Or | 2019 | 32 |
| The Best Award | 2019 | 32 |
| Laureus World Sports Awards | 2019 | 32 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2019-20 | 32 |
| LaLiga Top Scorer | 2020-21 | 33 |
| Ballon d’Or | 2021 | 34 |
| MVP Copa America | 2021 | 34 |
| World Cup Golden Ball | 2022 | 35 |
| The Best Award | 2022 | 35 |