Argentine star, Lionel Messi, on Monday, pipped Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland, to the men’s player of the year at The Best FIFA Awards 2023 after a voting tie-break.
The two players were tied on points so the final decision went to national team captain votes as all four home nation skippers – Harry Kane (England), Andy Robertson (Scotland), Aaron Ramsey (Wales), and Jonny Evans (Northern Ireland) – voted for Messi.
The 2023 award recognised the most exceptional performer between December 19, 2022, and August 20, 2023.
Performance at the 2022 World Cup was only considered for the previous year’s award – which was won by Messi after captaining Argentina to glory in Qatar.
The 36-year-old player clinched the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2023 before moving to Major League Soccer team Inter Miami, where he won the 2023 Leagues Cup – a competition between MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX sides – scoring 10 goals.
Messi beat Haaland to the award despite the Norwegian winning the treble at City as he scored 30 goals in all competitions in the period after the World Cup and before August 20, 2023.
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PSG forward, Kylian Mbappe, finished third in the voting with none of the three finalists in attendance at the awards ceremony in London, the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, City manager, Pep Guardiola, was named best men’s coach at The Best FIFA Awards 2023.
Guardiola guided City to the treble last season, adding the Champions League crown to their Premier League and FA Cup triumphs.
Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, now at Tottenham, Luciano Spalletti, who took Napoli to the Serie A title, and Barcelona’s Xavi were also on the shortlist.
Guardiola said: “I want to share this trophy and moment with our owners at Manchester City.
“On behalf of my backroom staff and myself, I want to say thank you so much to our players, that they have done for this club for eight years already together, without exception all of them.
“Thanks so much for this incredible journey because they don’t know what it means every morning to go there and live with them, winning or losing it doesn’t matter – living with them has been incredible.”
There were six players from Guardiola’s City side named in the men’s team of the year – defenders John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Ruben Dias; midfielders Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne; and striker Erling Haaland.
England and Real Madrid midfielder, Jude Bellingham, was also included.
Despite not making the team of the year, with Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois in goal, City shotstopper, Ederson, won the men’s best goalkeeper award.
Barcelona midfielder, Aitana Bonmati, was however, named FIFA’s best women’s player for 2023.
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