On Monday, January 15, Argentina World Cup winner Lionel Messi enjoyed another major win by clinching FIFA’s best men’s player for 2023 by defeating rivals Erling Haaland of Norway and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain. It was Messi’s third win in the last four years. In October, he added the Ballon d’Or to his list of individual accolades.
Since Haaland had a higher chance of winning the award, Messi was absent for the controversial award. Arsenal and France player Thierry Henry picked up the award on Messi’s behalf. Meanwhile, Haaland and Mbappe were absent from the event as well. Haaland scored 52 goals in his City debut season, where the English team won the FA Cup, the Premier League, and the Champions League. Messi was declared the winner despite having the same points from a scoring system. The votes were determined based on fans, team captains, and journalists.
Meanwhile, Spanish and Barcelona striker Aitana Bonmati was crowned FIFA’s best player in the women’s division. Her win was a clean sweep after helping Spain win the World Cup and leading Barcelona to the Champions League in 2023.
