In the latest from the world of football, World Cup winner Lionel Messi has once again brushed past Kylian Mbappé to make history, eluding the French star of yet another accolade, this time to be voted the FIFA best player 2023. Messi was one of the three shortlisted recipients alongside France’s Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé. The award is awarded based on the result of a collective vote from a global panel of national team captains and coaches, selected journalists in each of FIFA’s 211 member countries, plus fans online.
On the women’s side of things, the best player was awarded to Spain’s Alexia Putellas. Barcelona playmaker Putellas made the top three for the second straight year, despite her injury going into the Euro which led her to abstain from the tournament. Putellas won her award from USA’s Alex Morgan of the and Beth Mead, who led England to the European Championship title in 2022.
Morgan, who had come second in the 2019 vote to teammate Megan Rapinoe, was given player of the tournament when the U.S. won the CONCACAF W Championship last year. She was also named joint top scorer. Fellow shortlisted player Mead was the joint top scorer at the European Championships, and was named the tournament’s best player. She sustained a serious knee injury in November while playing for Arsenal and could miss the Women’s World Cup in July in Australia and New Zealand.
Also a must mention, Messi’s best player award was not the only accolade the Argentinian side took home, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was voted FIFA men’s coach of the year after leading his team to the World Cup title in December. Sacloni’s tenure as the Argentinian coach has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, from him taking over the mantle for at the end of 2018 on an interim basis, being received with a sharply negative reception for lacking prior experience in coaching a professional team, to now being an all time beloved figure in Argentinian football and their coach till 2026, as revealed earlier in the day.
The women’s coach award was given to English Coach Sarina Wiegman, who coached the country to the Women’s European.
The women’s goalkeeper award was given to Euro winner Mary Earps of England, and the best men’s goalkeeper was Argentina’s World Cup winner Emiliano Martínez.
The event in Paris, France, was markedly different this year as it was tributed to Football’s ‘ Black Pearl’, Pelé, who died late last year at age 82 following a battle with colon cancer. Pelé’s wife, Marcia Aoki, was honored with a trophy to honor the legacy of the late soccer great. The honorary award was presented by former Brazil striker Ronaldo.
Aoki thanked her late husband’s fans and showed appreciation, “I have three words to say to God, who gave us Edson, to Edson, who gave us Pelé, and to the world, who received them so well: ‘Grateful, grateful and grateful,’” she said.
