Lionel Messi has been awarded the prestigious FIFA The Best 2023 award, surpassing Manchester City’s striker Erling Haaland (second place) and French superstar Kylian Mbappe (third place). This marks Messi’s fourth FIFA Best Men’s Player award, having previously won in 2009, 2019, and 2022.
Congratulations to Messi on his personal accolade. Defender Tagliafico, who was part of the Argentina team that won the 2022 World Cup, shared a congratulatory message on social media, saying, “I’m tired, boss. Congratulations once again, Leo Messi.” Tagliafico’s message reflects on the numerous individual and team awards Messi has accumulated over his long career, rather than being a complaint or mockery of his captain.
Messi, now playing for Inter Miami, has an impressive record of eight Ballon d’Or wins, four FIFA Best awards, and three UEFA Best Player in Europe awards. He was also named the Best Player at the FIFA World Cup in both 2014 and 2022.
Furthermore, Messi has won four UEFA Champions League titles and twelve league championships in his club career, among many other accolades.
With Messi’s recognition as the FIFA Best Men’s Player of 2023, there has been debate about whether the Argentine superstar deserves the award. Some fans argue that Haaland’s achievements with Manchester City, including a historic treble, were more convincing than Messi’s 2023 performances.
Additionally, the award voting period covered performances from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023, just a day after Messi led Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Interestingly, Messi and Haaland ended up with the same number of votes. However, Messi won due to receiving more votes from national team captains than the Norwegian player.