Messi named ‘Player of the year’ at FIFA The Best ceremony

Lionel Messi successfully defended his FIFA Men’s Player of the Year title on Monday. He outpaced Erling Haaland, the prolific Norwegian striker from Manchester City, and Kylian Mbappe, the forward from Paris St Germain, to secure the prestigious award. Messi, who also claimed the honor in 2022 after leading Argentina to World Cup triumph, achieved further success by winning the Ligue 1 title with PSG alongside Mbappe before joining Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.

Despite his absence at the ceremony, the 36-year-old, chosen as the top player through votes from national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans, played a pivotal role in Inter Miami’s victory in the 2023 Leagues Cup. This competition involved MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX teams, and Messi contributed with 10 goals.

🚨🏆 OFFICIAL: Leo Messi wins The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2023.

ℹ️ Messi, as well as the other two finalists Haaland and Mbappé, is not present at the ceremony. pic.twitter.com/xV6kiERhtH

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The award period for the men’s prize spanned from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023, starting the day after the World Cup final in Qatar. Erling Haaland, who played a key role in Manchester City’s treble-winning season with 52 goals in 53 matches across all competitions, finished second in the voting. Despite tying with Messi in points, he fell short due to receiving fewer first-place votes from national team captains.