Lionel Messi emerged victorious at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 held in London. The football maestro secured the prestigious men’s player of the year award, marking his third win since the awards’ inception in 2016.
Starting the year with Paris St-Germain and later joining Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, Messi’s exceptional performances earned him the top spot among other prominent contenders.
Messi’s selection as the best player in The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 has raised some eyebrows, considering the results were based on votes cast after the conclusion of the World Cup on December 19th.
Pep Guardiola Named as The Best Coach
In addition to Messi’s triumph, Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City coach, was recognized with the men’s coach prize. Guardiola’s outstanding leadership guided Manchester City to an impressive Treble of Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup victories during the 2022-23 season.
Notably, this year’s awards also celebrated the coaching brilliance of Luciano Spalletti and Simone Inzaghi.
Messi and Haaland – Equal 48 Points
The Best FIFA Football Awards winners are determined through a combination of votes from national team managers, captains, journalists, and fans. Messi’s recognition can be attributed to his first-place nominations received from national team captains.
Erling Haaland, another standout performer, showcased his remarkable goal-scoring abilities throughout the season. Although he didn’t secure the top spot, Haaland’s contributions to the game were acknowledged by many.
Manchester City emerged as the dominant force in the men’s team of the year category, with six of their players, including Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne, securing spots in the lineup.
The Best FIFA 2023 Men’s Player
| Rank | Player | Club(s) Played For | National Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | France Paris Saint-Germain; United States Inter Miami | Argentina | 48 |
| 2 | Erling Haaland | England Manchester City | Norway | 48 |
| 3 | Kylian Mbappé | France Paris Saint-Germain | France | 35 |
| 4 | Kevin De Bruyne | England Manchester City | Belgium | 32 |
| 5 | Victor Osimhen | Italy Napoli | Nigeria | 24 |
| 6 | Rodri | England Manchester City | Spain | 24 |
| 7 | Julián Álvarez | England Manchester City | Argentina | 21 |
| 8 | Bernardo Silva | England Manchester City | Portugal | 18 |
| 9 | İlkay Gündoğan | England Manchester City; Spain Barcelona | Germany | 13 |
| 10 | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Italy Napoli | Georgia | 7 |
| 11 | Marcelo Brozović | Italy Inter Milan; Saudi Arabia Al Nassr | Croatia | 7 |
| 12 | Declan Rice | England West Ham United; England Arsenal | England | 1 |
The Best FIFA 2023 Men’s Goalkeeper
| Rank | Player | Club(s) Played For | National Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ederson | England Manchester City | Brazil | 23 |
| 2 | Thibaut Courtois | Spain Real Madrid | Belgium | 20 |
| 3 | Yassine Bounou | Spain Sevilla; Saudi Arabia Al Hilal | Morocco | 16 |
| 4 | Marc-André ter Stegen | Spain Barcelona | Germany | 8 |
| 5 | André Onana | Italy Inter Milan; England Manchester United | Cameroon | 5 |
FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11 2023
| Player | Club(s) |
|---|---|
| Belgium Thibaut Courtois | Spain Real Madrid |
| England Kyle Walker | England Manchester City |
| Portugal Ruben Dias | England Manchester City |
| England John Stones | England Manchester City |
| Portugal Bernardo Silva | England Manchester City |
| Belgium Kevin De Bruyne | England Manchester City |
| England Jude Bellingham | Spain Real Madrid |
| Brazil Vinicius Jr | Spain Real Madrid |
| Norway Erling Haaland | England Manchester City |
| France Kylian Mbappé | France Paris Saint-Germain |
| Argentina Lionel Messi | United States Inter Miami |
The Best FIFA 2023 Men’s Coach
| Rank | Coach | Team(s) Managed | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain Pep Guardiola | England Manchester City | 28 |
| 2 | Italy Luciano Spalletti | Italy Napoli; Italy | 18 |
| 3 | Italy Simone Inzaghi | Italy Inter Milan | 11 |
| 4 | Spain Xavi | Spain Barcelona | 11 |
| 5 | Australia Ange Postecoglou | Scotland Celtic; England Tottenham Hotspur | 4 |
The Best FIFA 2023 Women’s Player
| Rank | Player | Club(s) played for | National team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aitana Bonmati | Spain Barcelona | Spain | 52 |
| 2 | Linda Caicedo | Colombia Deportivo Cali; Spain Real Madrid | Colombia, Spain | 40 |
| 3 | Jenni Hermoso | Mexico Pachuca | Spain | 36 |
| 4 | Salma Paralluelo | Spain Barcelona | Spain | 32 |
| 5 | Sam Kerr | England Chelsea | Australia | 32 |
| 6 | Lauren James | England Chelsea | England | 18 |
| 7 | Rachel Daly | England Aston Villa | England | 15 |
| 8 | Hinata Miyazawa | Japan MyNavi Sendai | Japan | 13 |
| 9 | Keira Walsh | England Manchester City; Spain Barcelona | England, Spain | 11 |
| 10 | Kadidiatou Diani | France Paris Saint-Germain | France | 10 |
| 11 | Mapi León | Spain Barcelona | Spain | 10 |
| 12 | Alex Greenwood | England Manchester City | England | 5 |
| 13 | Lindsey Horan | France Lyon | United States | 2 |
| 14 | Mary Fowler | England Manchester City | Australia | 0 |
| 15 | Amanda Ilestedt | France Paris Saint-Germain | Sweden | 0 |
| 16 | Caitlin Foord | England Arsenal | Australia | 0 |
The Best FIFA 2023 Women’s Goalkeeper
| Rank | Player | Club(s) played for | National team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary Earps | England Manchester United | England | 28 |
| 2 | Cata Coll | Spain Barcelona | Spain | 14 |
| 3 | Mackenzie Arnold | England West Ham United | Australia | 12 |
| 4 | Zećira Mušović | England Chelsea | Sweden | 10 |
| 5 | Sandra Paños | Spain Barcelona | Spain | 5 |
| 6 | Christiane Endler | France Lyon | Chile | 2 |
| 7 | Ann-Katrin Berger | England Chelsea | Germany | 1 |
The Best FIFA 2023 Women’s Coach
| Rank | Coach | Team(s) managed | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarina Wiegman | England | 28 |
| 2 | Emma Hayes | England Chelsea | 18 |
| 3 | Jonatan Giráldez | Spain Barcelona | 14 |
| 4 | Peter Gerhardsson | Sweden | 7 |
| 5 | Tony Gustavsson | Australia | 5 |
FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World 11 2023
| Player | Club(s) |
|---|---|
| Mary Earps | England Manchester United |
| Lucy Bronze | Spain Barcelona |
| Olga Carmona | Spain Real Madrid |
| Alex Greenwood | England Manchester City |
| Aitana Bonmatí | Spain Barcelona |
| Ella Toone | England Manchester United |
| Keira Walsh | Spain Barcelona |
| Lauren James | England Chelsea |
| Sam Kerr | England Chelsea |
| Alex Morgan | United States San Diego Wave |
| Alessia Russo | England Manchester United, Arsenal |
Other Nominations at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023
| Award | Winner | Reason |
| FIFA Puskás Award | Guilherme Madruga | Novorizontino vs Botafogo SP |
| FIFA Fan Award | Colon Fan | The TV cameras panned in on a Colón fan who was cradling his son in his arms while feeding him his bottle during the team’s Argentinian top-tier encounter against Barracas Central. The heart-warming scene reflected the supporter’s will to kindle a passion for the club in his son from the earliest age. |
| FIFA Fair Play Award | Brazil National Football Team | In a friendly against Guinea in June 2023, the Seleção swapped their traditional yellow jerseys for an all-black kit in a anti-racism statement. |
| The Best FIFA Special Award | Marta | Special recognition for her role in women’s football |
How Winners are Determined at The Best FIFA Awards
The winners at The Best FIFA Awards are determined through a combined voting process involving several groups. This includes fans, national team coaches, national team captains, and a panel of 300 media members.
The votes from each group are given equal weightage in deciding the winners. For more detailed information on how voting works, you can refer to the official FIFA website.
