Messi was nominated for The Best even though the World Cup was not included
FIFA calculates achievements for The Best from December 19, 2022 to August 20, 2023. During this time, Messi played 37 matches, scored 26 goals and assisted 12 times. On average, every match he scores or assists. The 36-year-old superstar contributed to helping PSG win Ligue 1, and brought Inter Miami to its first title - Leagues Cup. He assisted the most goals in Ligue 1 last season, winning the award for top scorer and best player in the Leagues Cup.
Messi will compete for The Best award with 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 last season's treble, Man City contributed the most representatives in the nomination, with five players, not including Gundogan when he moved to Barca in the summer of 2023. If Gundogan is included, Man City accounts for half of the list. They are expected to be bright candidates to compete for the award with Messi, in which Haaland is the brightest, with 36 goals in 44 matches, not including assists.
Brozovic's nomination was a surprise even though he helped Inter reach the Champions League final and win the Italian Cup. Rice helped West Ham win the UEFA Conference League, before moving to Arsenal. Mbappe and PSG won the French championship and was also the top scorer of Ligue 1. Serie A champion Napoli contributed two players, the attacking pair Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo scored 31 goals and assisted 7 times in 35 matches, a higher performance than Messi and Haaland. He helped Al Nassr win the Arab Club Champions Cup, and was also the tournament's top scorer. However, like The Best 2022, the 38-year-old striker continues to be absent from the nomination list.
A council with four groups will be selected by FIFA, including coaches, captains of national teams, journalists from member federations and readers voting online. These four groups will have equal weight, of which the top three groups will have their voting results made public after the award ceremony. The only constraint is that voters cannot vote for themselves.
The Council will begin voting on September 14, 2023, from the above nominations, ending on October 6, 2023.
The Best first awarded the award in 2016, after separating from the FIFA Golden Ball. Since then, Ronaldo, Messi and Robert Lewandowski have all won the award twice, while Luka Modric has been honored once. Messi won the most recent tournament in 2022, when he helped Argentina win the World Cup.
The Best has many other categories such as best coach, best goalkeeper, and similar categories for women. Pep Guardiola is expected to win the coach award ahead of Simone Inzaghi, Ange Postecoglou, Luciano Spalletti and Xavi. And Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Ederson, Andre Onana and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen will compete for the goalkeeper award.
