Lionel Messi Named FIFA World Cup 2026 Best Player by AIPS

Kathmandu. The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has declared Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the best player of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Messi was declared the best player based on votes from 472 sports journalists from 121 countries worldwide, said AIPS Asia Treasurer Niranjan Rajbanshi. Messi secured a total of one thousand one hundred seventy-nine points, surpassing France's Kylian Mbappe (717 points) and England's Jude Bellingham (470 points).

Sports journalists with AIPS cards and journalists worldwide participating in the AIPS World Cup hotline program were voters in the AIPS organized election. They selected the top three players of the World Cup based on priority.

According to the voting system, the first-place player received five points, the second place received three points, and the third place received one point. The final list, released on July 13, included 20 players. Lionel Messi has been declared the AIPS Best Player of the FIFA World Cup 2026 based on the votes of sports journalists worldwide.

Lionel Messi

The forty-nine-year-old Messi participated in the 2026 World Cup, becoming one of the three players in World Cup history to play in six editions. Although he was just one win away from a consecutive second World Cup title, he succeeded in captivating the world of football once again with his incredible performance that defied his age.

Messi was very emotional after the World Cup final loss to Spain. As Argentine supporters chanted his name, he was in tears. He said on Instagram on Monday,