Lionel Messi defeats Erling Haaland to win the 2023 FIFA The Best Award.
According to FIFA, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are equal for the most points (48). Messi got 13 points from national team leaders and fans all across the world, while Haaland gained support from coaches and journalists.
However, according to Article 12 of the voting regulations, if two players are tied, the winner will be selected by the votes of national team captains from across the world. Messi was chosen first by 107 national team leaders, with Haaland receiving only 64 votes. This implies that the captain of the Argentina national team has won. Messi, however, did not attend the ceremony in Switzerland to accept the honor.
Between December 19, 2022 and August 20, 2023, Messi scored 26 goals and assisted 12 times, winning the Ligue 1 title with PSG and subsequently the North and Central American Cup with Inter Miami. Messi earned the Ligue 1 assist king title last season and was named the best player in the North and Central American League Cup.
Messi’s honor has been contentious since FIFA published the candidates. Many supporters feel Messi’s top three spot should go to one of the players that contributed significantly to Manchester City last season, such as De Bruyne, Silva, or Gundogan.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, The Best is voted on by coaches, national team leaders, journalists from various confederations, and fans. Each group of votes will have equal weight. The voting period started on September 14, 2023, and ended on October 6, 2023.
Messi’s triumph at this year’s gala ties him with Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski for the most The Best trophies (both twice), with Luka Modric coming in second. Messi has been rewarded by FIFA in this category for the second year in a row.
In addition to The Best, FIFA presented several other notable honors, like the best men’s coach (Pep Guardiola), best goalkeeper (Ederson), and so on.
