The votes cast for Lionel Messi in the FIFA Best Awards have been disclosed, revealing the names of Sunil Chhetri and Igor Stimac as the individuals who voted for him.
Sunil Chettri, the captain of the Indian team, along with head coach Igor Stimac, refrained from casting their votes in favor of Lionel Messi, who eventually emerged as the winner at the 2023 FIFA Best Awards.
Lionel Messi emerged victorious once again as he secured the prestigious 2023 FIFA Best Award. Despite not receiving votes from Sunil Chettri and Igor Stimac, Messi’s exceptional performance and undeniable talent earned him the honor for the second consecutive year. The award ceremony, held in London, saw Messi surpass the likes of Erling Haaland from Manchester City and Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain to claim the coveted prize. The selection process involved a diverse panel consisting of national team captains, coaches, journalists, and fans, each contributing with a 25% weightage in determining the winner. FIFA has now released the comprehensive list of voters and their choices, providing an intriguing insight into the decision-making process behind this significant achievement.
Messi has once again clinched the men’s award for the second year in a row, while Aitana Bonmati from Barcelona has emerged as the recipient of the women’s prize.
The fascinating analysis conducted by FIFA has unveiled that both Messi and Haaland amassed an identical tally of points (48), intensifying their rivalry. Nevertheless, due to Messi securing a greater number of first-place nominations from national team captains compared to Haaland, he was bestowed with the title of victor during the grand ceremony hosted in London.
Messi’s triumph came as a surprise, considering that the voting period did not encompass Argentina’s remarkable quest in clinching the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy.
India’s choice for the 2023 FIFA Best Award varied among its representatives. Sunil Chhetri, the captain, voted for Haaland as the top pick, followed by Rodri and Victor Osimhen. On the other hand, head coach Igor Stimac favored Rodri for the award, with Julian Alvarez and De Bruyne in second and third place respectively. Journalist Dhiman Sarkar’s vote aligned with Chhetri’s, placing Haaland as the winner, followed by De Bruyne and Osimhen. In terms of other votes, Messi chose Haaland over his former teammate Mbappe, while including Alvarez in third place. Conversely, Mbappe ranked Messi as his first choice, with Haaland and De Bruyne in second and third place respectively.
Haaland was unable to vote since he is not the captain of Norway. Instead, Martin Odegaard from Arsenal voted for his fellow Norwegian teammate Haaland as his top choice, while placing Messi and Mbappe in second and third positions.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of Portugal, did not participate in the voting process. Instead, defender Pepe took on the responsibility and voted for Bernardo Silva, a midfielder from Manchester City and Portugal, as his first choice. Pepe ranked Haaland as his second choice and Osimhen as his third choice.
