FIFA has announced the 12 players nominated for The Best 2023 individual awards, and among them is Lionel Messi, despite only considering performances since the World Cup.
FIFA considers performances for The Best from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023. During this period, Messi played 37 matches, scored 26 goals, and provided 12 assists. On average, he contributed with either a goal or an assist in every game. The 36-year-old superstar played a key role in helping PSG win Ligue 1 and taking Inter Miami to their first-ever Leagues Cup title. He led in assists in the previous Ligue 1 season, won the Golden Boot, and was named the Best Player of the Leagues Cup.
Messi will compete for The Best award alongside 11 other players, including Julian Alvarez, Marcelo Brozovic, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Erling Haaland, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kylian Mbappe, Victor Osimhen, and Declan Rice.
With a treble-winning season, Manchester City has the most representatives on the nomination list, with five players, not including Gundogan who transferred to Barcelona in the summer of 2023. If Gundogan is counted, Manchester City occupies half of the list. They are expected to be strong contenders for the award, competing with Messi, with Haaland being a top favorite with 36 goals in 44 games, not counting assists.
The nomination of Marcelo Brozovic comes as a surprise, despite his contributions in helping Inter reach the Champions League final and win the Italian Cup. Declan Rice played a crucial role in West Ham winning the UEFA Conference League before moving to Arsenal. Mbappe, alongside PSG, won Ligue 1 and was the top scorer in the league. The Serie A champions Napoli have two players nominated, the attacking duo of Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo scored 31 goals and provided 7 assists in 35 games, boasting better stats than both Messi and Haaland. He helped Al Nassr win the Arab Club Champions Cup and was the top scorer in the tournament. However, like in The Best 2022, the 38-year-old forward is absent from the nomination list.
FIFA will form a council with four groups, including national team coaches, team captains, journalists from member associations, and online voting by fans. These four groups will have equal weight, with the results of the first three groups being publicly disclosed after the award ceremony. The only constraint is that voters cannot vote for themselves.
The council will start voting on September 14, 2023, based on the nominations mentioned above, and conclude on October 6, 2023.
The Best was first awarded in 2016, after it split from the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Since then, Ronaldo, Messi, and Robert Lewandowski have all won the award twice, with Luka Modric being honored once. Messi is the most recent winner in 2022, when he helped Argentina win the World Cup.
The Best also includes other categories such as Best Coach, Best Goalkeeper, and similar categories for women. Pep Guardiola is expected to win the Best Coach award ahead of Simone Inzaghi, Ange Postecoglou, Luciano Spalletti, and Xavi. The Best Goalkeeper nominees include Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Ederson, Andre Onana, and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
