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
Who is nominated for the Puskas award?
The award is named after Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskas and celebrates the most spectacular goal across men’s and women’s football.
A total of 11 goals were initially nominated and three finalists have been chosen by fans.
Julio Enciso has been nominated for his goal against Manchester City during a 1-1 draw between the current European champions and Brighton. He let the ball fly from 25 yards straight into the top corner and was his first at home for the Seagulls.
Guilherme Madruga scored for Botafogo against Novorizontino in the Brazilian Serie B. It was an absolutely stunning overhead kick from outside the area which perfectly looped and dipped into the back of the net just under the crossbar.
Nunos Santos is shortlisted for his goal for Sporting against Boavista. It was a clever improvised backheel-rabong that caught everyone by surprise as it flew into the back of the net.
All the goals can be watched here on the Fifa website.
Fifa best awards
Best Women’s player - the three finalists:
Aitana Bonmati was a part of Spain’s successful women’s World Cup side, and like Messi, has already won the Ballon d’Or. On the domestic front she played a key part of Barcelona’s Women’s Champions League and title-winning campaigns.
Linda Caicedo rose to prominence over the last year before scoring the goal of the tournament during Columbia’s win over Germany in the 2023 World Cup.
Jenni Hermoso was also part of Spain’s World Cup squad. However, in the final she was in the headlines for Luis Rubiales’ unwanted kiss as much as the on-field exploits. During the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, Hermoso scored three goals and also recorded two assists.
Fifa best awards
Men’s player - a closer look at the three finalists:
The previous winner and current Ballon d’Or holder Lioness Messi will go up against the next generation in Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Since the World Cup, Messi scored nine goals as PSG stormed to the French title, and 10 goals in just seven matches as Inter Miami went on to win the Leagues Cup, a competition including clubs from the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Haaland took the Premier League by storm, netting a record 36 goals last season, and scoring 28 goals in all competitions after the World Cup as part of 52 in a single season.
Fifa best awards
How are the awards chosen?
The men’s awards will be judged from 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023, starting after the Qatar World Cup after that was in last year’s ceremony.
The women’s awards are based on performances between 1 August 2022 and 20 August 2023.
Fifa best awards
How can one watch the awards?
The ceremony will be available to stream for free live on the Fifa website and through Fifa+.
The ceremony will also be shown live on BBC iPlayer and online from 7.30 pm GMT.
Fifa best awards
What are the awards?
The Best Awards are Fifa’s equivalent of the Ballon d’Or.
The award categories are:
- Best Men’s Player
- Best Women’s Player
- Best Men’s Coach
- Best Women’s Coach
- Best Men’s Goalkeeper
- Best Women’s Goalkeeper
- Puskas Award
There are also awards for a fan and fair play and a men’s and women’s world XI will be named.
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