Lionel Messi, Aitana Bonmati win Fifa The Best awards

16 January 2024 - 08:09 By Reuters
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Lionel Messi is announced as the winner of the Fifa Best Men's Award during the The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 at The Apollo Theatre on January 15, 2024 in London, England.
Lionel Messi is announced as the winner of the Fifa Best Men's Award during the The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 at The Apollo Theatre on January 15, 2024 in London, England.
Image: Kate Green/FIFA via Getty Images

Despite exiting the top soccer stage of Europe for Major League Soccer in the summer, Lionel Messi captured the Fifa The Best men's award on Monday in London.

The honour recognises the world's best player from the day after Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup championship through August 20, 2023.

In that span, Messi helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Ligue 1 championship, then transferred to MLS and guided Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup title.

The other men's finalists were Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe.

Midfielder Aitana Bonmati, who helped Spain win the Women's World Cup last summer, earned the women's Fifa The Best award. Bonmati also guided Barcelona to the Uefa Women's Champions League title last spring.

Fifa Men's Coach of the Year Pep Guardiola, and Fifa Best Women's Award winner Aitana Bonmati, react during the The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 at The Apollo Theatre on January 15, 2024 in London, England.
Fifa Men's Coach of the Year Pep Guardiola, and Fifa Best Women's Award winner Aitana Bonmati, react during the The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 at The Apollo Theatre on January 15, 2024 in London, England.
Image: Kate Green/FIFA via Getty Images

The other women's finalists were Jenni Hermoso (Spain/Tigres UANL) and Linda Caicedo (Colombia/Real Madrid).

The awards ceremony also recognised the men's Top XI for the year, featuring six players from Manchester City's treble-winning side, and the women's Top XI, with the San Diego Wave's Alex Morgan being the only US-based player recognised.


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