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| Messi - Photo: Collected |
Lionel Messi won the eighth Ballon d'Or after winning the World Cup
Lionel Messi added another feather to his cap by winning the prestigious FIFA Player of the Year award following his triumph at the World Cup last year, at a ceremony held in London on Monday. Despite stiff competition from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, Messi emerged as the top choice for the coveted title. However, Messi was absent from the ceremony, and Thierry Henry accepted the award on his behalf.
This is Messi's third FIFA Best Player win, having previously won the title in 2019 and 2022. In the women's category, Spain's Aitana Banmati, a key player in their World Cup-winning team, won the best women's player award.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was named FIFA Coach of the Year for guiding his side to a historic treble last season. Meanwhile, the best women's coach award went to Sarina Wiegmann, who led the Dutch national team to the World Cup final last year.
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| Ori accepts award in Messi's absence - Photo: Collected |
The Puskas Award for best goal was claimed by Madrugada Guilherme, who scored a stunning bicycle kick from long range. The Brazilian beat off competition from Ederson and Manchester City and Morocco's Younes Belhanda and Al-Hilal.
In the best goalkeeper category, Brazil's Alisson Becker and Real Madrid's Ederson beat Belgium's Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez respectively.
Manchester City dominated the FIFA FIFPro Men's World XI with six players including John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Ruben Dias in defence. Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior joins City's midfield duo of Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, while in the attacking trio, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe represent Real Madrid.
In a remarkable feat, six Barcelona players have been named in the FIFPro Women's World XI. Guardiola's coaching team also claimed the best supporter award. Additionally, Barcelona's Vinicius Junior, known for his support against discrimination, received the Fair Play Award for his continued efforts to fight prejudice in Brazilian football.
Ending the event on a heartwarming note, a dedicated Argentine fan won the Fan of the Year Award for feeding her newborn with milk from a football-shaped bottle during the match.