On Monday, Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentinian striker and globally acclaimed footballer, secured his third FIFA Best Men’s Player award for the year 2023 at a ceremony held in London.
Simultaneously, Aitana Bonmati from Spain also clinched noteworthy titles in the women’s category. Bonmati’s surprising victory over Erling Haaland marked her ascent as the best women’s footballer. The accolades covered the period following Messi’s role in leading Argentina to World Cup victory from December 2022 to August 2023. Despite a relatively subdued conclusion to his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain, where he secured the Ligue 1 title, the 36-year-old Messi joined MLS side Inter Miami in June. In a swift impact on the United States soccer scene, Messi played a pivotal role in guiding the franchise, co-owned by David Beckham, to their first trophy by clinching the Leagues Cup in August.
Haaland emerged as the frontrunner for the award following his impressive debut season with City, where he scored 52 goals and helped the English team secure a remarkable treble of Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup victories. Despite this, Messi ultimately claimed the title by garnering an equal number of points through a voting system involving national team captains, coaches, journalists, and fans. Messi’s higher number of first-choice nominations played a crucial role in his victory, with his former club teammate Kylian Mbappe securing the third position.
In the women’s category, the selection of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Bonmati as the best player was less contentious. She achieved a clean sweep of personal awards after contributing to Spain’s World Cup triumph and Barcelona’s Champions League success in 2023. The 25-year-old also clinched the Ballon d’Or, Golden Ball for Player of the World Cup, and UEFA’s Player of the Year in recent months. Reflecting on the year, Bonmati expressed pride in being part of a transformative generation of women who are reshaping the landscape of both the game and the world.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola earned the title of the best coach for orchestrating City’s historic victory in the Champions League. Haaland was accompanied by five of his club colleagues — Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne — in the lineup of the year. The team of the year also featured Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Messi, and Mbappe. Ederson, the goalkeeper for City, secured the men’s goalkeeper of the year award, while Mary Earps, the goalkeeper for England and Manchester United, claimed the women’s award.
Sarina Wiegman, the head coach of the England national women’s team, received the women’s coach of the year accolade for guiding the Lionesses to the World Cup final. The Brazilian men’s team earned the Fair Play award for donning an all-black shirt in solidarity with forward Vinicius, who faced racist abuse while playing for Real Madrid last year. Additionally, the Puskas award for the best goal went to Guilherme Madruga of Botafogo for his stunning overhead kick.
- Misleading Video Alters Prime Minister Shehbaz’s Speech Targeting Political Rival, Not His Party - 21/04/2024
- ATC Grants Three-Day Remand for Suspects in Ichhra Bazaar Harassment Case - 19/03/2024
- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh Lead World in Severe Smog Crisis, Exceeding WHO Guidelines - 19/03/2024
