Why did Lionel Messi win Best FIFA Men's Player Award despite being tied on points with Haaland?

Lionel Messi of Argentina won the Best FIFA Men's Player Award for the third time in four years, beating out Norwegian attacker Erling Haaland in a close contest. Aitana Bonmati, the brilliant striker from Barcelona and Spain, accepted the prestigious Best FIFA Women's Player Award during the magnificent London celebration on Monday, January 16, 2024, when the awards were revealed.

3 things you need to know 

• Lionel Messi won the FIFA Men’s Player Award 
• Erling Haaland and Messi were tied at 48 points total 
• Pep Guardiola won ‌Best Men's Manager of the Year award

Also Read: Lionel Messi, Bonmati claim top honours: Check list of FIFA Awards 2023

Why did Lionel Messi win the award even though he was tied with Haaland for 48 points?

Despite having the same number of points as the runner-up, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi won the FIFA The Best Men's Player Award for 2023.

The result was contingent upon ‌regulations set forth by the regulating body, which stated that the player who received the most votes from captains of national teams would be awarded the trophy. Between them, Messi and Haaland received 48 points from coaches, national team leaders, journalists, and supporters. When the votes were totalled, Messi got 13 votes from captains, 11 from coaches and the media combined, and 13 more from fans. Haaland, on the other hand, received 11 votes from captains, 13 from coaches and the media, and an additional 11 from supporters.

The key element that tipped the scales in Messi's favour was his higher vote total among the captains. Following his victories in 2009, 2019, and 2022, Messi's current win is his fourth FIFA The Best Men's Player honour in his storied career. Notably, his 2022 FIFA World Cup victory with Argentina was not taken into account.

The governing body made it clear that player performances were evaluated for the award between August 2023 and December 19, 2022 (starting the day after the FIFA World Cup final). During this time, Messi helped PSG win the Ligue 1 championship. He finished the 2022–2023 season with an outstanding record of 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games for the French team.

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For Manchester City, Erling Haaland, on the other hand, had a stellar evaluation time and won a European treble. After an incredible season in which City won the FA Cup, the Premier League, and the UEFA Champions League, he finished with 52 goals in 53 games.