Lionel Messi has been named as the best men’s footballer in the world for 2023 at The Best Fifa Football Awards at a ceremony in London.
The Inter Miami and Argentina great pipped Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe to the evening’s top prize, claiming the The Best Fifa Men's Player gong for the second year in a row and for the third time in the event’s eight-year history.
Aitana Bonmati won The Best Fifa Women’s Player, ahead of her Spain teammate Jenni Hermoso and Colombian forward Linda Caicedo. Barcelona midfielder Bonmati played a key role in Spain’s World Cup win last year, when she was named as the tournament’s best player.
The Puskas award for the best goal of the year went to Brazilian defender Guilherme Madruga, who scored an outrageous overhead kick from outside the penalty area for Botafogo against Novorizontino during a Serie B game in June.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was named The Best FIFA Men’s Coach after leading his side to an historic treble last season, with the FIFA Club World Cup being added last month.
England head coach Sarina Wiegman won The Best FIFA Women’s Coach award for the second year in a row and for the fourth time overall following a year in which she led the Lionesses to the World Cup final.
Mary Earps, one of Wiegman’s key players in the England team, won The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award, with Manchester City stopper Ederson taking home the men’s prize.
Brazil great Marta was honoured with a special award which was presented to her by the wife of the late Brazil legend Pele.
The Citizens also dominated the FIFA’s Men’s World 11, with Haaland leading no less than six of Guardiola’s treble-winners in the star-studded line-up which also included England midfielder Jude Bellingham,
FIFA’s Men’s World 11: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), John Stones (Manchester City), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)