Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi made some interesting choices for the 2024 FIFA Best Awards, as he excluded 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri from his voting list.
As the captain of Argentina’s national team, Messi had the opportunity to cast his votes alongside national team coaches, captains, and notable media figures.
Instead of selecting Vinicius Junior or Rodri as his top choice, Messi ranked Barcelona’s promising 17-year-old talent, Lamine Yamal, first. He followed this with his former PSG teammate, Kylian Mbappe, in second place. Notably, he placed Vinicius, who ultimately won the award, in third place, while he did not include Rodri on his ballot.
At the 2024 FIFA Best Awards ceremony held in Doha, FIFA also unveiled the Best Men’s XI for 2024. The lineup features Manchester City striker Erling Haaland leading the attack alongside Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who was recognized as the best player of the year at the event.
In midfield, Rodri, who had won the Ballon d’Or earlier this year, joined forces with England’s Jude Bellingham and the retired Toni Kroos.
The defense is composed of Arsenal’s William Saliba, Manchester City’s Ruben Dias, and Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger and Dani Carvajal. Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez is in goal.
FIFA Best XI of 2024:
Emiliano Martinez, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Ruben Dias, William Saliba, Jude Bellingham, Rodri, Toni Kroos, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior.
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