Lionel Messi named men’s footballer of the year

LONDON: Lionel Messi secured the title of men’s footballer of the year at The Best FIFA Football Awards for the year 2023.

The 36-year-old faced competition from Erling Haaland of Manchester City, who claimed the second spot, and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain, who secured the third position.

While Messi and Haaland initially had equal votes, the Argentine emerged victorious based on captain’s votes.

Notably, Messi was absent in London to personally receive the award, leading to a humorous acceptance by Thierry Henry on his behalf.

The Best FIFA Awards, held annually, recognize outstanding football players, coaches, goalkeepers, fans, goals, and fair play through a comprehensive and democratic FIFA-led process.

Unlike the Ballon d’Or, which evaluates performances within a season, The Best FIFA awards generally cover a calendar year.

However, due to the inclusion of the Qatar World Cup in the 2022 ceremony, the men’s awards, including the Puskas award, were assessed from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023, for this particular year.

(Inputs from Agencies)