Messi IGNORES Ronaldo in FIFA The Best voting, picks Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe instead

Two of arguably the greatest football superstars of this generation, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in contention to win the Best Player of the Year accolade at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020. But Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski overtook the two legends to clinch the much-prized award on Thursday. Following the award ceremony, FIFA has released the voting details, which states Messi did not vote for Ronaldo, while also preferring Neymar over Lewandowski.

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Who did Messi vote for? Messi FIFA The Best voting revealed 

Hours after Lewandowski was crowned The Best Player of the Year with president Gianni Infantino present in Munich, FIFA has released the voting preferences for the accolade. National team captains and coaches are asked to vote for their top three preferences. Indeed, the majority of the votes were polled in Lewandowski's favour. 

But Messi's bizarre voting pattern was tactical when it comes to choosing his top three. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner did not vote for Ronaldo, while also ignoring Lewandowski. Instead, he picked his former Barcelona teammate and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar Jr as his top choice for the accolade.

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Messi FIFA The Best voting includes Mbappe, but not Ronaldo 

Besides, Neymar's teammate Kylian Mbappe also made it to Messi's voting list, only next to the Brazilian winger. Interestingly, Lewandowski saw himself settle for a third-place finish in Messi's voting list. More surprisingly, Ronaldo had not voted for his long-term rival for FIFA The Best last year. 

While Neymar and Mbappe's inclusion does not come as a surprise, citing the fact that the two PSG superstars played a key role in their side's Champions League heroics until the finale when they lost out to Bayern Munich. However, his decision to put Lewandowski at the third spot raise many eyebrows. Moreover, the inclusion of two PSG superstars in Messi's voting at a time when the Argentine is linked with a move to the Parc des Princes outfit reignites transfer talks. 

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Ronaldo and Messi face off after two years 

Ronaldo and Messi came up against each other after two seasons, specifically since the Portuguese international left Real Madrid in 2018. And the former Real Madrid man had an unforgettable night at Camp Nou as he netted a brace to help Juventus move atop the Champions League standings ahead of the Catalan giants. 

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Image courtesy: AP