Which soccer player has been regarded as the best in the world in 2022 has been a topic of heated debate amongst fans all around the globe. SinceLionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the finest of this generation, are getting on in age, new stars are rising to capture the attention of the public.

The best possible ending to 2022 occurred with the World Cup. Without a shadow of a doubt, Argentina and France were the two finest teams in this tournament. Argentine hero Messi and Kylian Mbappe are the only two players in the tournament to receive five-star ratings and have been nominated for Player of the Tournament more times than any other players.

A lot of things went wrong and right during this year's World Cup in Qatar, but the brilliant performances of a few players will be what people remember most. It would be simple to talk about how the other tournament goalscorers pale in comparison to Messi, but there were so many other individuals that improved their performances during this calendar year.

Which players are named in L'Equipe Team of the Year for 2022?

Seeing as how we are about to approach the last week of 2022, the French daily L'Equipe have already released their Team of the Year. As could be anticipated, the roster is stacked with A-listers like Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, World Cup winner Lionel Messi, as well as World Cup runner-up Kylian Mbappe.

With three players, Real Madrid have the highest representation of any club in the starting eleven. With Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, his squad swept through La Liga and then defeated Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League Final. Two of Benzema's Whites colleagues, Thibaut Courtois and Luka Modric, also earned their spots in the starting eleven.

The Paris Saint-Germain combination of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe is, of course, featured. In addition, three English clubs—Manchester United and City, and Liverpool—are all featured in the list. However, L'Equipe's 2022 squad has some surprising selections, including Virgil van Dijk and Kyle Walker. 

Casemiro, a midfielder recently acquired by United, and Kevin de Bruyne of the Citizens fill in the remaining midfield positions. Josko Gvardiol of Croatia and Leipzig rounded out the XI, while Theo Hernandez of France and Milan, played a pivotal part in both his teams' successful year.