Lionel Messi, Aitana Bonmati claim top honours; Check complete list of winners in FIFA Awards 2023

Famous Argentine football player Lionel Messi won the Best FIFA Men's Player Award for the third time in the previous four years after edging out Norwegian forward Erling Haaland in a close contest. Aitana Bonmati, the gifted striker from Barcelona and Spain, accepted the esteemed Best FIFA Women's Player Award amid the glittering London celebration as the awards were announced on Monday, January 16, 2024.

3 things you need to know 

• Lionel Messi won the FIFA Men’s Player Award 
• Aitana Bonmati received the FIFA Women’s Player Award 
• Pep Guardiola won ‌Best Men's Manager of the Year award

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Lionel Messi edged over Haaland despite having a tie on points 

The Best Men's Manager of 2023 title went to Manchester City's talented coach, Pep Guardiola, who guided the squad to an incredible triple. In the women's division, England national team coach Sarina Wiegman won the Best Women's Coach title, extending her record and celebrating her fourth victory. Guardiola's victory allowed him to surpass elite rivals like Luciano Spalletti of Napoli and Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan.

Within the goalkeeping division, Mary Earps, the fearsome stopper for both Manchester United and the England national team, took home the Women's trophy at the London presentation, and Ederson, the accomplished shot-stopper from Manchester City, won the Best Men's Goalkeeper title. 

In 2022, Lionel Messi won the esteemed Best Player Award, a testament to his exceptional leadership in guiding the Argentina men's team to World Cup victory in Qatar. Messi's incredible year includes winning the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain and, in his Major League Soccer first season, becoming a key player in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup success.

Messi won a tightly contested battle with Erling Haaland, who had a remarkable season scoring 52 goals in all competitions and helping Manchester City win a triple. Former teammate of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, was another competitor for the title. 

Messi and Haaland tied the honours, ending up with 48 points apiece, according to the FIFA scoring system. But the captain of Argentina won the title because he received more votes from captains of the national teams. Votes for the Best FIFA Awards come from journalists, supporters, national captains, and coaches. Messi received votes in support from Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, and Indian national team captain Sunil Chhetri, among others. It's interesting to note that Messi voted for Haaland, giving him the upper hand over Mbappe and Julian Alvarez, his teammate.

As per FIFA regulations, in the event of a tie, the winner is the person who received the most first-choice votes from their voting group—in this case, the captains.

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A complete list of the Best  FIFA Football Awards 

The Best FIFA Men's Player

Winner: Lionel Messi (48 points)
Second: Erling Haaland (48 points)
Third: Kylian Mbappe (35 points)

The Best FIFA Women's Player

Winner: Aitana Bonmati (52 points)
Second: Linda Caicedo (40 points)
Third: Jenni Hermoso (36 points)

The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper

Winner: Ederson (23 points)
Second: Thibaut Courtois (20 points)
Third: Yassine Bounou (16 points)

The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper

Winner: Mary Earps (28 points)
Second: Catalina Coll (14 points)
Third: Mackenzie Arnold (12 points)

The Best FIFA Men's Coach

Winner: Pep Guardiola (28 points)
Second: Luciano Spalletti (18 points)
Third: Simone Inzaghi (11 points)

The Best FIFA Women's Coach

Winner: Sarina Wiegman (28 points)
Second: Emma Hayes (18 points)
Third: Jonatan Giraldez (14 points)

The FIFA Puskas Award: Guilherme Madruga

The FIFA Fair Play Award: Brazil national team.