Argentina captain Lionel Messi clinched the 2023 FIFA Best Award, pipping Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe to the prize at an award ceremony in London.

The winner of the Best Award was determined by a diverse panel comprising national team captains, coaches, journalists, and fans, each wielding their influence with a weight of 25%. FIFA has now unveiled the complete list of voters and their choices, allowing us a fascinating glimpse into the minds behind this momentous decision.

For the second consecutive year, Messi secured the men’s award, while Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati claimed the women’s prize.

The intriguing breakdown from FIFA has revealed that Messi and Haaland accumulated an equal number of points (48), making their battle even fiercer. However, as Messi garnered more first-place nominations from national team captains than Haaland, he was crowned the winner at the grand ceremony held in London.

Messi’s triumph was an unexpected one, as the voting period excluded Argentina’s momentous journey towards capturing the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy.

WHO DID INDIA VOTE FOR?

India captain Sunil Chhetri voted for Haaland to win the 2023 FIFA Best Award, putting Manchester City midfielder Rodri in second position and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in third.

Meanwhile, India head coach Igor Stimac voted for Rodri to win the award, with Manchester City and Argentina striker Julian Alvarez in second and De Bruyne in third.

Indian journalist Dhiman Sarkar voted for Haaland to win the award, placing De Bruyne in second place and Osimhen in third.

OTHER VOTES

Messi voted for Haaland over former teammate Mbappe to win the FIFA Best Award, while putting Alvarez in third place.

Meanwhile, Mbappe voted for Messi in first place, opting for Haaland and De Bruyne in second and third place respectively.

Haaland did not get to vote as he’s not the captain of Norway. Instead, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard voted for his Norwegian teammate Haaland in first place, putting Messi and Mbappe in second and third.

Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo did not cast his vote, with defender Pepe taking over the voting duties. He voted for Manchester City and Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva in first place, with Haaland in second and Osimhen in third.

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