Francis Ajuonuma with agency report
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Frenchman, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland of Norway will know their fate on January 24, 2024 when the world governing football body, FIFA, announces its best player for 2023 in award ceremony in London.
FIFA yesterday unveiled its final shortlists for The Best Awards in what will be a mirror of the 2023 Ballon d’Or battle.
Messi scooped his eighth Ballon d’Or at the end of 2023, with the Inter Miami star finishing ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe respectively in the final count.
The trio are as the confirmed finalists for the men’s award in the FIFA The Best Awards with Messi the current holder of the award following his success in 2022.
The awards include numerous categories alongside the men’s trophy, with individual honours for the leading female player, coach, and the iconic Puskas Award for the best goal.
The Best FIFA Football Awards have been handed out since 2017 as part of FIFA’s plan to create an award solely within their organisation.
Previously FIFA partnered with France Football as a partner in the legendary Ballon d’Or award, but that partnership ended in 2016, and FIFA embarked on its own set of awards for the top players and coaches in the sport.
The Ballon d’Or has been in circulation since 1956, and despite the profile of FIFA as the world’s governing football body, The Best Awards still have some catching up to do to be considered with the same prestige as the Ballon d’Or.
