On Monday, Lionel Messi became the FIFA “The Best” winner for the third time, defeating Erling Haaland of Manchester City to win the title of greatest men’s player in 2023.
After scoring 52 goals in his rookie season with Manchester City, Haaland was the clear favorite, but Messi gained the upper hand in the vote after winning the League Cup and Ligue 1 with Inter Miami in just a few months after joining the team.
Only three months have passed since Messi captured the Ballon d’Or for a record-tying eighth time.
In a three-person shortlist that also included Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, the star player for Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentinian received the majority of the votes.
Messi topped the list for the Best honors, which were chosen by national team captains and coaches, despite the fact that he hasn’t been particularly outstanding over the past 12 months.
In 2023, the captain of Argentina joined David Beckham’s Miami team, where he scored 11 goals in 14 games and helped the team win the League Cup.
FIFA’s Best Men’s Player has been awarded in two straight years, having previously won in 2019 and 2022.