Lionel Messi secured the Men’s Player of the Year accolade for a historic third time at The FIFA Best Awards ceremony held in London.
The 36-year-old Argentina captain clinched the title after a vote tie-break with Erling Haaland, where Messi received more first-choice nominations from national team captains, resulting in a tied total of 48 points for both players.
Despite a remarkable achievement by Manchester City striker Haaland, who set a record-breaking Premier League scoring total of 36 goals and contributed to the Citizens’ Treble victory, Messi’s contributions stood out.
Messi, who netted 16 goals and provided an equal number of assists for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season, later made a high-profile move to Inter Miami, where he lifted the Leagues Cup in August.
In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmati, the Ballon d’Or Feminin holder, was named the Best Women’s Player. The 25-year-old midfielder played a pivotal role in Spain’s World Cup triumph last summer and also contributed to Barcelona’s victories in the Champions League and Liga F.
After being presented with the award, Bonmati said: “I am proud of being part of a powerful generation of women, part of changing the rules of the game, and the world.”
In other categories, Pep Guardiola was named the Best Men’s Coach for guiding Manchester City to the Treble last season, while England’s Sarina Weigman claimed the women’s coaching prize for the fourth time.
Mary Earps secured the Best Women’s Goalkeeper award for the second consecutive year, recognizing her stellar performances with England and Manchester United. Her outstanding campaign also earned her the BBC Sports Personality of the Year accolade.
Ederson received the men’s goalkeeper award in recognition of his impressive displays between the posts during Manchester City’s Treble-winning season.
Guilherme Madruga was awarded the Puskas Award, edging out Brighton’s Julio Enciso, thanks to his spectacular overhead kick during Botafogo’s match against Novorizontino in the Brazilian second tier.
The FIFA Fairplay Award went to Brazil’s men’s team for their solidarity gesture. They wore black kits in a friendly match against Guinea last June, showing support for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. after he was subjected to racist abuse in LaLiga.
The 2023 FIFPro Men’s World XI: Thibaut Courtois, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Jude Bellingham, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Vinicius Jr.
The 2023 FIFPro Women’s World XI: Mary Earps, Olga Carmona, Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Alessia Russo, Lauren James, Ella Toone, Aitana Bonmati, Alex Morgan and Sam Kerr.