Messi Tops Men’s Best FIFA Player Of The Year Award

Lionel Messi has been crowned as the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award for the third time, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe missing out.

The footballing icon was not expected to take home the gong, given the astonishing years both Haaland and Mbappe had.

However, count Messi out at your peril as the World Cup winner was recognised for his efforts with both Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami as well as his Argentina national team.

Messi was not present in London to collect his award, instead his former Barcelona team-mate Thierry Henry, who hosted the show, collected the gong on the Argentine’s behalf. The award was not the only recognition of Messi’s efforts on the night.

The 36-year-old was also named in the FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World XI, alongside his fellow nominees in Haaland and Mbappe, as well as a plethora of City players such as John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.

Some may feel the other nominees were more worthy, but City boss Pep Guardiola perhaps summed it up best when discussing whether Haaland or Messi should have won the Ballon d’Or at the back end of last year.

“I always said that the Ballon d’Or had to be two sections: one for Messi and one for the others,” Guardiola quipped in October. “But of course, Messi, if you tell me the worst season of Messi it is the best for the rest of them. Both deserve it.

“Egotistically I would say I want Erling because he helped us to achieve what we achieved. I would love it but I won’t tell you it’s unfair if Leo wins.

“It’s nice that many players for Man City will be there for the first time in many years and challenging for these trophies. That makes us so proud for our organisation.”

The outcome means Messi has now won the title for a third time, with the first coming in 2019, before his second last year. Elsewhere, the Argentine’s ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola took home the Best FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year award for overseeing Man City’s historic treble victory.

(SOURCE – Mirror UK)