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365Scores the Best of 2022: Player of the Year

Photo of Interns Interns28/12/2022 - 12:58 pm

With 2022 coming to an end, 365Scores looks at the best players from the past 12 months.

We have narrowed it down to four players which had a better year than most.

 

– Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)

Having turned 35 years-old last week, Karim Benzema endured what was undoubtedly the greatest year of his professional career. He played just 38 matches in 2022 – fewer than all of the other three players in question – though he mustered 31 goals and eight assists, averaging more than one direct goal involvement per game.

The vast majority of Benzema’s outings this year came in Real Madrid colours, with just three for the French national team. He was (and continues to be) the most prominent goalscorer for his team, having registered 19 goals in 23 domestic games this calendar year.

Benzema also featured 12 times in UEFA competitions (Champions League and Super Cup) and bagged 11 goals for Los Blancos. The French forward netted 10 goals in the knockout phase of the Champions League, including hat-tricks against Paris St-Germain (Round of 16) and Chelsea (quarter-finals) as well as a brace versus Manchester City in the semis.

Benzema was integral as Real won a league and European double for only the second time since 1958. Real’s star striker was the top scorer in both the Spanish top flight (27 goals) and Europe’s primary club competition (15 goals) which propelled him to the Ballon d’Or award in October. Benzema is the second-oldest player to win the prestigious accolade.

Benzema claimed his maiden Ballon d’Or in 2022.
(Photo: AFP via Getty Images)

In total, Real collected four trophies in 2022. Their La Liga/Champions League double was supplemented by the Supercopa de España in January and the UEFA Super Cup in August.

For his efforts in the Champions League, Benzema also walked away with the prizes for UCL Player of the Season and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.

Benzema was named in France’s squad for Qatar 2022 though he did not appear at the tournament, marking the first time since 1978 that the Ballon d’Or holder didn’t feature at the World Cup finals.

– Kylian Mbappé (Paris St-Germain, France)

While Benzema was unavailable for France at the World Cup, countryman Kylian Mbappé was the main source of goals for Les Bleus. 11 years Benzema’s junior, Mbappé struck eight times at Qatar 2022 – the most at a World Cup since Ronaldo Nazário in 2002 – to scoop the Golden Boot.

Mbappé’s is up to 12 goals in 14 games at the World Cup, an identical tally to three-time winner Pelé, and the 24-year-old is four goals shy of Miroslav Klose’s record 16 goals at the quadrennial event.

Golden Boot winner Mbappé walks past the World Cup trophy.
(Photo: AMA/Getty Images)

From a pure goal-scoring perspective, Mbappé had a simply astonishing year with 55 goals and 19 assists in 55 matches (club and country combined). Domestically, he fired in 34 goals for PSG while also creating another 13.

The pacey attacker also scored nine times in eight Champions League ties in addition to 12 goals in 13 matches for France.

In terms of honours, Mbappé and PSG clinched the Ligue 1 title as well as the Trophée des Champions (French Super Cup). On an individual scale, he ended as the top scorer (28 goals) and with the most assists (17) in the French top flight.

– Lionel Messi (Paris St-Germain, Argentina)

Argentina’s man of the moment ended the year in spectacular fashion, capturing an elusive World Cup winner’s medal. During the tournament, Messi set multiple records such as the most matches and most minutes played at the World Cup.

Messi ended the tournament with seven goals (one shy of Mbappé) and three assists, the joint-most. The Argentine scored more goals at Qatar 2022 than he did at the previous four World Cups combined (6).

He claimed the Golden Ball, becoming the only two-time winner of the award. The 35-year-old scored in every round at the recent World Cup and he is the first and only player to achieve this feat.

Messi with the World Cup trophy and the Golden Ball.
(Photo: AMA/Getty Images)

Throughout 2022, Messi played 51 matches, scoring 35 goals and producing 30 assists. He found the net 18 times in 14 games for Argentina, including a five-goal haul in a friendly versus Estonia.

As mentioned, PSG secured a domestic double (Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions) though his greatest addition in 2022, without question, is the status of world champion.

– Luka Modrić (Real Madrid, Croatia)

The fourth and final nominee, Luka Modric, registered significantly fewer goal contributions than his fellow counterparts though his influence and importance have not gone unnoticed.

Modrić has played a total of 61 matches this year, 45 for Real Madrid and 16 with Croatia, and he delivered 11 goals and 10 assists.

The seasoned midfielder added several pieces of silverware to his growing collection, notably the La Liga and Champions League titles, and he is a five-time European champion with Real. Modrić and Los Blancos also celebrated successes in the UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa de España.

Toni Kroos, Casemiro, and Luka Modrić with the Champions League trophy.
(Photo: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

To cap off a splendid 2022, he earned a bronze medal at the World Cup with Croatia, and the 37-year-old was also named the third-best player at the event, behind Messi and Mbappé.

Modrić was on the pitch for all but 24 minutes of his nation’s seven matches in Qatar. He is the most-capped Croatian player of all-time (162) and he has served as national team captain since 2016.

Despite approaching his 38th year, there is a slim chance Modrić could put international retirement on hold for the time being as Croatia have also qualified for the UEFA Nations League finals due to take place next summer.

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Photo of Interns Interns28/12/2022 - 12:58 pm

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