Lionel Messi secures the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year Award for 2023, surpassing Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. Despite Haaland being the favored contender with a remarkable debut season at Manchester City, Messi clinched the honor by triumphing in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain and claiming the Leagues Cup shortly after joining Inter Miami.
This recent accolade follows Messi’s historic eighth Ballon d’Or win just three months ago. The Argentine maestro secured the majority of votes in a three-man shortlist, which included Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Despite a relatively uneventful year, Messi emerged victorious in the Best awards, as voted by the captains and coaches of national teams. Having moved to David Beckham’s Miami team in 2023, Messi showcased his prowess with 11 goals in 14 appearances and secured the Leagues Cup with the team.
This achievement marks Messi’s consecutive FIFA Best Men’s Player titles, having previously won in 2022 and 2019.