Fifa Best Awards LIVE: Latest updates and results as Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati scoop main awards
Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati picked up the main awards in London with the Lionesses also picking up several awards
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Your support makes all the difference.Argentine Lionel Messi retained the Fifa men's player of the year trophy on Monday, beating Manchester City's treble-winning Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and France's Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe to the award.
Spain's 2023 World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati was voted the best women's player of the year.
Messi, who also secured the men's award in 2022 after guiding Argentina to World Cup victory, clinched the Ligue 1 title with PSG alongside Mbappe following that success, before moving to Major League Soccer team Inter Miami. The 36-year-old, voted the best player by national teams coaches, captains, journalists and fans, helped Inter Miami win the 2023 Leagues Cup -- a competition between MLS and Mexico's Liga MX sides -- scoring 10 goals. Messi was not present to collect the trophy.
The award period for the men's prize ran from Dec. 19, 2022 to Aug. 20, 2023, and started the day after the World Cup final in Qatar. Haaland, who helped City clinch a treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles by scoring 52 goals in 53 matches across all competitions in the 2022-23 season, finished second in the voting. The 23-year-old had the same points as Messi but lost out by having fewer first-place votes from national team captains.
City's Pep Guardiola won the Best Men's Coach award. The Spaniard, who before winning the treble with City last term had achieved the same feat at Barcelona in 2008-09, dedicated his award to fellow nominees Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti.
Sarina Wiegman claimed the Best Women's coach prize after leading England to the World Cup final where they lost 1-0 to Spain. Seven of her Lionesses were included in the Women's World XI, including Mary Earps, who also took the Best Women's Goalkeeper Award. (Reporting by Reuters)
Relive all the action from London and the reaction to the awards below:
Fifa best awards
Wiegman said: “Wow. Some of you think ‘there she is again’ I am so sorry about that. I feel very humble and privileged that I am here again.
“Thank you to the FA for their support and all our staff and to all our players they did so well. Lots of things were thrown in front of us and we did so well.”
She thanks her family and makes a nod to the other coaches in the shortlist.
Fifa best awards
Time for the best women’s coach award and a reminder that England manager Sarina Wiegman and Chelsea manager Emma Hayes are up for this one alongside Barcelona’s Jonatan Giraldez.
Fifa best awards
Guardiola has just been asked whether his all-conquering Man City side would beat his treble-winning Barcelona side and he is stumped for an answer, replying only with “it should be a good game”.
Fifa best awards
The FIFA Fifpro men’s world XI:
Thibaut Courtois
John Stones
Kyle Walker
Ruben Dias
Bernardo Silva
Jude Bellingham
Kevin de Bruyne
Erling Haaland
Kylian Mbappe
Lionel Messi
Vinicius Junior
Fifa best awards
Guardiola said in his speech: “Thank you so much, I want to share this award with Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti. And I want to share the award and this moment with Manchester City and our owners.
“On behalf of my backroom staff and myself I want to say thank you to our players for what they have done for this club for many many years so without exception thank you for this journey.
“It has been an honour every morning to go there. Thank you for my dad who is here 92 years old, I am so happy he is here.”
Guardiola followed it up with thanks to the rest of his family and wife and kids.
Fifa best awards
We will start with the best men’s coaches award which is between Pep Guardiola, Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti...
Fifa best awards
Time for a voting explainer, every national team captain and coach was invited to vote along with media and football fans around the world.
Each group counts for 25 percent of the vote, and if they cannot be separated then the captains’ vote will be the decider.
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