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Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe have officially been announced as the top three contenders for the title of The Best Fifa Men’s Player for 2023.
The three were selected from a group of 12 players for the Fifa Best Awards event in London on January 15, 2024.
Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso, who both won the World Cup with Spain, are nominated for the women’s Best award. They are joined by Linda Caicedo from Real Madrid and Colombia.
The award for men’s category will be given for the time span of 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023, with Messi being nominated once again for winning the prize in 2022.
The captain of Argentina aided Paris Saint-Germain in winning the Ligue 1 championship earlier this year. He then moved on to Inter Miami of the Major League Soccer (MLS) and helped secure a Leagues Cup victory shortly after arriving in America.
The 36-year-old has achieved over 100 goals in international matches.
Mbappe, a former teammate of his at PSG, is still in the running for the Ligue 1 Player of the Season award. He was the leading scorer for the French club, who won another domestic title.
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are among the finalists as well.
Haaland completed the list of finalists after an impressive first season at Manchester City, where he achieved a treble.
During the qualifying period, the Norwegian forward netted 28 goals in 33 games for the team, earning the top spot in both the Champions League and Premier League goal scoring charts.
The top three male finalists were chosen by a global panel consisting of coaches and captains of national teams, football reporters, and fans who cast their votes on Fifa’s official website. Each voter ranked their top three picks from a list of 12 initial nominees.
Bonmati, Hermoso, and Caicedo have made it through the elimination process from a list of 16 female players.
The award includes the timeframe of August 1, 2022 to August 20, 2023, which coincides with the date of the World Cup final that was won by Spain.
Bonmati was awarded the Golden Ball at the end of the tournament for her outstanding performance in Australia. She also played a crucial role in helping Barcelona achieve a European treble.
Aitana Bonmati is a top contender for the Best Women’s award.
Teammate Hermoso played a crucial role in the victory, contributing three goals and two assists throughout the tournament.
During the qualification period, Caicedo participated in the Under-17, Under-20, and senior Women’s World Cups, earning a spot in the final three. She scored two goals, one of which was crucial in the surprising victory over Germany, as her team topped Group H in August.
The complete outcome of the voting will be disclosed once the awards are distributed in January.
Source: independent.co.uk
