The 'Man of the Match' award is presented to the player who has been the most impactful on the pitch for 90 minutes. The number of MOTMs handed out to each football player has been calculated since 2009. A football player's work off the ball and ability to turn over possession and create chances are all just as important as scoring a goal or providing an assist.

The massive Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate in football for more than a decade has been about who is the better player. The pair have won eight and five Ballon d'Or titles respectively, and been at the very top of the game. In terms of winning the most Man of the Match award, the pair is way ahead of the other players. It's time, we look at the list of top 5 football players who have won most numbers of Man of the Match Awards in Football.

Also Read: Messi vs Ronaldo: The European club stats comparison

Most Man of the Match in Football since 2009 (Top Five)

From over 600 appearances since 2009, the little magician has been named Man of the Match in more than half of those games, 52% to be exact. Barcelona was the main club to see the very best of Messi.

It may be a statistic to give him an edge in the debate with Ronaldo as it is not even close, with Messi not being too far off having twice as many of these awards. Lionel Messi is an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. The legendary Argentinian forward is arguably the greatest footballer of all time and he put the cherry on top by winning the World Cup title.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time. The Real Madrid and Portuguese icon holds the world record for international goals, scoring 128 for Portugal since making his debut in 2003.

Ronaldo has won five Champions League titles in his career and is also the all-time top scorer in the competition. He has won 181 Man of the Match awards since 2009.

Ibrahimovic represented five different clubs including two separate stints at AC Milan since 2009. He did not disappoint for any of the clubs apart from Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a phenomenal striker. Ibrahimovic has won 116 Man of the Match awards since 2009. Being a key man for PSG, AC Milan, Manchester United, and LA Galaxy is not an easy feat.

Eden Hazard managed an incredible 100 Man of the Match performances in his time between 2009 and 2023. He joined one of the best teams in Europe in 2012 when he left Lille after putting in some incredible performances in France. The Belgian winger chose to sign for the European champions, Chelsea. At the peak of his powers, Hazard was one of Europe's most complete attackers.

The Poland international is arguably one of the finest marksmen on the planet and is an elite finisher. He scored 344 goals during his time with Bayern Munich. Lewandowski proved himself time to time again and again by scoring plenty of goals and by completing the historic Sextuple with Bayern in 2020. The reason he got the big move to Bayern Munich was the form he showed for Borussia Dortmund in the years prior. With 96 Man of the Match Awards, he comes in the 5th position on the list.

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Tag: Zlatan Ibrahimovia

Most Man of the Match in Football since 2009