Published on 16.01.2024
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi 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.
Messi, 36, began 2023 at Paris St-Germain, before moving to Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami in June.
He picked up the best men’s player award for the third time since this format of the awards began in 2016, after doing so in 2019 and 2022.
He scored nine goals for PSG as they won the French Ligue 1 title and 10 goals in seven games as Inter Miami won the inaugural Leagues Cup in the United States.
Haaland grabbed a record 36 Premier League goals last season. In all competitions in 2022-23, he scored a club-record 52 goals – with 28 of them coming after the World Cup, plus another two goals this season before 20 August.
Other Fifa Best Awards were awarded to Pep Guardiola as the men’s coach of the year.
Ederson has also been named The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper of 2023.
