Messi Beats Haaland To Win FIFA Men’s Player Of The Year Award

Argentine professional footballer, Lionel Messi, has secured his third FIFA best men’s player of the year award.

Sportxparte reports that Messi recorded the latest achievement on Monday, January 15, 2024, in London.

The Inter Miami’s star player surpassed Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland to claim the award.

Despite Haaland’s impressive performance of scoring 52 goals in his debut season with Manchester City, Messi emerged victorious in the voting process.

This victory came after Messi’s triumph in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and his success in the Leagues Cup, achieved shortly after joining Inter Miami.

This recent accolade adds to Messi’s already remarkable collection, as he had previously been crowned the Ballon d’Or champion for an unprecedented eighth time just three months ago.

Among the three finalists, which included Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, Messi garnered the majority of the votes from the captains and coaches of national teams, despite his relatively unremarkable performance over the past year.

In 2023, Messi made a move to David Beckham’s Miami team, where he scored 11 goals in 14 appearances and clinched the Leagues Cup with his new squad.

This achievement marks Messi’s consecutive back-to-back wins as FIFA’s Best Men’s Player, having previously claimed the title in 2022 and 2019.

Sportxparte observes that the Best FIFA Football Awards and The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award are most times misunderstood to be the same. It is, however, noteworthy that they are not the same.

Both, however, are presented by FIFA and celebrate excellence in football. Below is the subtle differences between them.

The Best FIFA Football Awards: This ceremony rewards individual and team achievements across the entire year, encompassing both men’s and women’s football. This is where Bonmatí received the Best Women’s Player award.

The Best FIFA Men’s Player: This specific award, as the name suggests, focuses solely on recognizing the best male player of the calendar year. This is the one Messi won.

Both awards are prestigious and highlight top talent in the sport. While Bonmatí’s win signifies incredible achievements in women’s football, Messi’s three-time title is a remarkable feat demonstrating his consistent dominance at the highest level.