The award ceremony, held in Paris this year, aims to "crown the outstanding figures in world football."

And after a year in which his long quest for a World Cup finally came to an end, Messi most certainly embodies that.

The superstar of Paris Saint-Germain assisted Argentina in winning the World Cup in Qatar, which was probably his final opportunity to win the biggest prize in international football.

Messi won the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player after scoring seven times in as many games.

One of the greatest footballers of all time, his legacy was further cemented by victory in the Middle East. He contributed to PSG winning the Ligue 1 championship at home in 2022, scoring 17 goals and registering 24 assists in 37 appearances.

But it was an international calendar year which included 18 goals, six assists and a World Cup which put him above the competition. Recognition from FIFA means Messi has scooped the award for the second time since its inception in 2016.

And with a pair of gongs, he joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski as two-time winners. In the seven editions of the ceremony, Messi has only been out of the top 3 once and was a narrow runner-up to Robert Lewandowski 12 months ago.

In a typically humble acceptance speech, Messi said: “I’d like to express thanks to my team-mates, to Scaloni [Argentina coach] and without them I wouldn’t be here. My coach, he is part of this victory as well. I’d like to pay tribute to all of my team-mates. It was an amazing year and I achieved a dream I’ve been hoping for so long.

"Finally I achieved it. It’s a dream for any player. Very few players can achieve that and I’ve been lucky enough to do it.”

This time around, his main competition came from French duo Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe. Benzema won the Ballon d’Or back in October of last year thanks to his stunning performances during Real Madrid ’s run to the Champions League. Messi wasn't even nominated for that particular award, although he appears a shoo-in for a record eighth in a matter of months.

As for Mbappe, he enjoyed a similarly historic World Cup to his PSG team-mate Messi. The 24-year-old was the top scorer in Qatar and became the first person since Sir Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick in the final.