Following an intense debate as to whether Lionel Messi should have picked up the FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year award for 2023, questions have been asked as to how the players, journalists and head coaches had voted for the award's winner.
Eyebrows were raised when the Argentine legend Lionel Messi was crowned FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year for 2023 over the Norwegian talent Erling Haaland. It was revealed that Messi had won by a narrow margin with both him and Haaland being tied on votes in the initial stage.
How do they vote for or select the FIFA Best Men or Women's Player of the Year?
Questions have been raised as to how the FIFA Best Men or Women's Player of the Year is selected every year. The World Football Body in an official report revealed that football fans, coaches, players and journalists all play an active role in the selection of the Player of the Year.
The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper, and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper awards are presented to the most deserving players, coaches, and goalkeepers.
The winners are chosen by an international jury, which consists of one coach and captain from each men's and women's national team, one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team, and registered fans from all over the world on FIFA.com. The jury members nominate three players, three coaches, and three goalkeepers, in decreasing order of merit. Depending on whether the jury member places the player, coach, or goalkeeper first, second, or third, the nominees receive five points, three points, or one point, respectively.
In order to win an award, the player, coach, or goalkeeper must have the highest amount of scoring points in their respective categories. The voting for the awards is done by the coaches and captains of national teams, with women's awards being voted on by women's national team coaches and captains, and men's awards being voted on by men's national team coaches and captains.
Who did the coaches, players and journalists vote for the FIFA Men's Player of the Year for 2023?
Here is how some coaches and players voted for the winner of the Best Men's Player of the Year 2023 by FIFA:
Several national team captains, such as Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Mohamed Salah, voted for Messi as the Best Men's Player in the recent awards. Messi, being the captain of Argentina, also participated in the voting process but could not choose himself. Interestingly, Messi voted for Norwegian striker Haaland as his top pick, followed by Mbappe and his countryman Julian Alvarez.
Pepe of Portugal voted, Bernardo Silva, Haaland and Victor Osimhen, England coach Gareth Southgate also selected Haaland, Rodri and Silva, Brazilian midfielder Casemiro selected, Haaland, Messi, Mbappe, Son Heung-min also voted, Messi, Haaland, Mbappe.
Check out the full list HERE.
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