Lionel Messi is not expected to win the 2023 FIFA Best Player Award based on a statement from the organizers of the award, FIFA.
While announcing the nominees for the award on Thursday, September 14, FIFA wrote on its website that the players were nominated due to their performance between December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023.
FIFA’s statement reads, “The 12 contenders have been nominated based on their achievements from 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023, with each of the nominees recognized for their sustained excellence over that period.”
If this statement is anything to go by, this means that Lionel Messi’s heroics in the 2022 FIFA World Cup which took place from November to December 18, 2022, wasn’t put into consideration in nominating him for the award.
The 36-year-old Argentine football icon who has won the award twice in his football career, in 2019 and 2022, was probably nominated for helping Paris Saint Germain to win the French Ligue 1 last season and also helping his new team, Inter Miami to win the Leagues Cup on August 19, 2023.
Judging by the value of these trophies and the contributions of Lionel Messi to the teams that won them, his chances of winning the 2023 FIFA Best Player Award are very slim.
Hence, Erling Haaland is likely to win the 2023 FIFA Best Player Award for the first time in his career because he won more major titles than any other contender for the award during the said period.
Recall that during the said period, Haaland helped Manchester City to win the historic treble: Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and the FA Cup. In August, he added the UEFA Super Cup to City’s trophy cabinet.
Last season, despite being his debut season at Manchester City, the Norwegian striker scored a league record 36 Premier League goals. While in all competitions, he scored a total of 52 goals in 53 games for City.
Below are all the nominees for the 2023 FIFA Best Player Award
- Julian Alvarez
- Marcelo Brozovic
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Ilkay Gundogan
- Erling Haaland
- Rodri
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Kylian Mbappe
- Lionel Messi
- Victor Osimhen
- Declan Rice
- Bernardo Silva
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