Lionel Messi narrowly surpassed Erling Haaland to secure the title of the men’s player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards on Monday.
The Inter Miami standout narrowly outpaced Haaland, with Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain securing the third spot.
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Messi, who commenced 2023 with PSG before making a move to Inter Miami in June, clinched the award for the third time since the inception of the awards eight years ago.
The 36-year-old scored nine goals for PSG, aiding them in securing the French Ligue 1 title. He also contributed 10 goals in seven games as Inter Miami triumphed in the inaugural Leagues Cup in the United States, marking the club’s first-ever trophy.
In the meantime, Haaland set a Premier League record with 36 goals last season and achieved a club-record 52 goals in all competitions as City secured a Champions League, FA Cup, and Premier League treble.
Mbappe, securing the third position, similarly to Messi, won the Ligue 1 title with PSG and secured a fifth consecutive Golden Boot.
The 25-year-old netted 18 goals for the French side between December 19, 2022, and August 20, 2023 – the period under consideration for the awards.
Traditionally covering a calendar year, the FIFA Best Awards differ from the Ballon d’Or awards, which reflect performances throughout a season.
However, due to the inclusion of the Qatar World Cup in last year’s ceremony, this year’s award only considered a half-season period.
Votes from fans, journalists, national team managers, and captains were considered in the FIFA Best Awards.
It was revealed that Messi and Haaland accumulated the same number of points, but Messi emerged as the winner, having received more first-placed nominations from national team captains.
Notable captains who voted for Messi included Mbappe, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Aaron Ramsey, and Luka Modric, while Ilkay Gundogan and Casemiro voted for Haaland, along with Messi himself.
