January 16, (THEWILL) – Football icon Lionel Messi has been crowned with the 2023 Best FIFA Men’s Player award for the third time, adding to his 2019 and 2022 wins. The Argentina maestro saw off stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City’s prolific Erling Haaland.
Over the qualifying period from 19th December 2022 to 20th August 2023, Messi departed European football after securing his second Ligue 1 title with PSG, opting for a fresh challenge with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. The 36-year-old inspired David Beckham’s franchise to their maiden piece of domestic silverware, top scoring in the Leagues Cup with 10 goals in just 7 appearances.
On the international stage, Messi brought up a momentous century of goals for Argentina in a 7-0 thrashing of Curacao last March. He became only the third male player to achieve the feat after Iran’s Ali Daei and Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
This latest recognition from FIFA marks back-to-back wins for Messi, who also claimed the award in 2022. Prior winners include Robert Lewandowski in 2020 and 2021, former Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo in 2016 and 2017, and 2018 winner Luka Modric for his instrumental role in Real Madrid and Croatia’s successes.
The Argentina skipper now has 3 Best FIFA Men’s Player titles, reaffirming his status as one of football’s greatest-ever players even well past his glorious mid-thirties. His tally of individual honours continues to grow, already claiming a record 8 Ballon d’Or crowns.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
