Lionel Messi heads star trio announced as men’s Fifa Best award finalists

Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have also been shortlisted for the gong

Lionel Messi will hope to secure back-to-back Fifa Best awards (Getty Images)

Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have been confirmed as the three finalists in contention to be named The Best Fifa Men’s Player for 2023.

The trio were chosen from an intial 12-player shortlist ahead of the Fifa Best Awards ceremony in London on 15 January 2024.

Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso, two of Spain’s World Cup winners, will contest the women’s Best award, with the pair joined on the shortlist by Real Madrid and Colombia’s Linda Caicedo.

The men’s accolade covers the period between 19 December 2022 and 20 August 2023, with Messi nominated again after securing the prize for 2022.

The Argentina captain helped Paris Saint-Germain to a Ligue 1 title earlier this year before joining Inter Miami of Major League Soccer (MLS), securing a Leagues Cup crown soon after arriving in America.

The 36-year-old has also surpassed 100 international goals.

His former PSG teammate Mbappe also remains in contention having been named Ligue 1 Player of the Season, finishing as the top goalscorer as the French capital club secured another domestic crown.

Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have also made the shortlist (Getty Images)

Haaland is the final member of the shortlist after capping a remarkable first season at Manchester City by winning a treble.

The Norwegian striker scored 28 times for the club in 33 matches during the qualification period to top the charts in both the Champions League and Premier League.

The three men’s finalists were selected by an international jury comprising of men’s national team coaches, men’s national team captains, football journalists, and fans who voted on Fifa’s official website, with each voter placing their choices from the 12-strong original shortlist first, second and third.

Bonmati, Hermoso and Caicedo, meanwhile, have survived the whittling down of a 16-player women’s shortlist.

The award covers the period of 1 August 2022 to 20 August 2023, the date of the World Cup final, won by Spain.

Bonmati received the Golden Ball at the conclusion of the tournament after her sparkling form in Australia, and also helped Barcelona to a European treble.

Aitana Bonmati is a strong contender for the women’s Best award (Getty Images)

Teammate Hermoso was also an integral part of the triumph, scoring three times and providing two assists during the tournament.

Caicedo joins them in the final three having appeared at the Under-17, Under-20 and senior Women World Cups within the qualification period. The Colombian scored twice, including in a shock win over Germany, as her side topped Group H in August.

The full results of the voting will be revealed after the gongs are handed out in January.