Despite journalists backing Haaland, Messi secures FIFA Best Men's Player 2023 with tie-breaking votes from national team captains. (Getty Images)
In a surprising turn of events, Lionel Messi clinched The Best FIFA Men's Player award for the year 2023, prevailing over Erling Haaland, who enjoyed significant support from journalists during the voting process.
The outcome was determined through a series of four distinct votes, each carrying a weight of 25% towards the final result. Despite journalists predominantly favoring Haaland, Messi secured victory by excelling in the vote conducted by national team captains.
In this comprehensive voting system, coaches and captains were tasked with selecting three players, assigning five points to their first choice, three to the second, and one to the third. Haaland led the vote among national team coaches, while Messi emerged victorious in the crucial captains' poll.
A fourth vote, open to the public via FIFA.com, saw Messi dominating with a resounding mandate from fans. However, the overall tally resulted in a tie, with both Messi and Haaland securing 48 scoring points. Kylian Mbappe trailed in third place with 35 points.
In adherence to FIFA's tie-breaking regulations, Messi was ultimately declared the winner due to receiving the highest number of five-point scores in the votes cast by men's national team captains.
The criteria for FIFA's selection of the 2023 men's awards were centered around achievements from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023. Notably, the 2022 awards encompassed the conclusion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 18.
While the official timeframe for evaluation had concluded, it's plausible that many voters were swayed by Messi's stellar performance in Qatar 2022. During Argentina's triumphant seven-game campaign, Messi showcased his prowess with seven goals and three assists, potentially influencing the voters' decisions in his favor.
