Lionel Messi won FIFA’s “The Best” award for the third time on Monday as the Argentine pipped Manchester City’s Erling Haaland to the prize for best men’s player in 2023.
Haaland was the favourite to win after scoring 52 times in his debut season with Manchester City, but Messi edged the vote after winning Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain and the Leagues Cup just months after joining Inter Miami.
Messi’s latest award is coming just three months after he became Ballon d’Or champion for a record-breaking eighth time.
The Argentinian garnered most of the votes in a three-man shortlist that included Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain talisman Kylian Mbappe.
Despite being largely unexceptional in the last 12 months, Messi topped the pile for the Best awards voted by captains and coaches of national teams.
The Argentina captain moved to David Beckham’s Miami team in 2023 scoring 11 goals in 14 appearances and winning the Leagues Cup with the team.
This marks two successive years of being named FIFA’s Best men’s player after previously winning in 2022 and before in 2019.
Also, Aitana Bonmati was crowned FIFA’s women’s player of the year on Monday after winning the World Cup with Spain and leading Barcelona to Champions League glory during an exceptional 2023.
The 25-year-old completed a clean sweep of individual accolades for the past 12 months after also winning the Ballon d’Or, Golden Ball for player of the World Cup, and UEFA’s player of the year.
Bonmati’s selection as the best women’s player was less controversial as she completed a clean sweep of personal awards after helping Spain to win the World Cup and Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2023.
The 25-year-old also won the Ballon d’Or, Golden Ball for player of the World Cup, and UEFA’s player of the year in recent months.
“A couple of weeks ago when 2023 came to an end I was nostalgic because 2023 was an exceptional and unique year I will remember for the rest of my life”, said Bonmati.
“I’m proud of being part of a powerful generation of women who are changing the rules of the game and the world”.
In other awards of the night, Pep Guardiola won the men’s coach of the year award after securing a treble with Manchester City and Sarina Wiegman won the female’s coach of the year.
Six Man City players were also named in the Best XI.
Below are The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 Winners
The Best FIFA Men’s Player: Lionel Messi
The Best FIFA Women’s Player: Aitana Bonmati
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach: Pep Guardiola
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach: Sarina Wiegman
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper: Ederson
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper: Mary Earps
FIFA Fair Play Award: Brazil men’s national team
FIFA Puskas Award: Guilherme Madruga
FIFA Fan Award: Hugo Daniel “Toto” Iniguez
FIFA Special Award: Marta
FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11: Thibaut Courtois, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Jude Bellingham, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Vinicius Junior, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland
FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World 11: Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Olga Carmona, Alex Greenwood, Aitana Bonmati, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh, Lauren James, Sam Kerr, Alex Morgan & Alessia Russo
