 "Best FIFA Awards 2023: Messi beats Haaland to win men's trophy, Bonmati wins women's award")
Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati have emerged as the winners of the The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 as the outstanding players since the last edition. The award ceremony that was held in London on Monday night also recognised the outstanding performances of coaches, goalkeepers, and more across the men’s and women’s game. Lionel Messi has been crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2023, retaining the title he won in 2022. Messi topped an incredibly closely contested poll, which was voted for by national team coaches and captains, as well as expert journalists and supporters across the globe. With the FIFA World Cup 2022 winner and Manchester City FC and Norway international forward Erling Haaland locked together on 48 points, they were separated by the number of first-choice nominations received in votes from national team captains, as per the Rules of Allocation (article 12). France striker Kylian Mbappe finished third with 35 points. Aitana Bonmatí has been named The Best FIFA Women’s Player for the first time. The coveted award is richly deserved for this magnificent midfielder, who in 2023 inspired Spain to their maiden world title, and Barcelona to a domestic and European treble.
Aitana Bonmatí is #TheBest FIFA Women's Player 2023! 🤩
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) January 15, 2024
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In topping the poll, which followed the same protocol as the men’s award but with women’s national team coaches and captains voting, Bonmatí succeeded her team-mate, 2022 winner Alexia Putellas, fending off competition from fellow finalists Linda Caicedo and Jennifer Hermoso. Mary Earps has been voted The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper for a second successive year, becoming the first two-time winner in the award’s history. Earps dazzled once again as the Lionesses won the Finalissima, and reached their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup final. Outstanding saves and shootout heroics paved the way to both of those achievements, with Earps’ displays at the latter tournament rewarded with the adidas Golden Glove award. She was also named the best ‘keeper in England’s WSL, having racked up a remarkable 14 clean sheets from just 22 Manchester United appearances last season. Ederson has been named as The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper of 2023. The Brazilian shot-stopper was awarded the honour following a stellar year in which the 30-year-old backstopped Manchester City’s historic treble-winning campaign. Ederson topped the poll with 23 points, ahead of fellow finalists Thibaut Courtois (20 points) and Yassine Bounou (16 points). Sarina Wiegman has been named The Best FIFA Women’s Coach for 2023. The England boss enjoyed a record-breaking year in which she led the Lionesses to the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the Arnold Clark Cup and Women’s Finalissima titles. Wiegman beat Emma Hayes and Jonatan Giraldez to the honour at The Best FIFA Football Awards on Monday with 28 points, ahead of Hayes’ 18 points, and Giraldez’s return of 14 points.
#TheBest FIFA Women's Coach Award goes to Sarina Wiegman! 🙌
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) January 15, 2024
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Pep Guardiola has been named The Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2023 after overseeing an incredible period of success at Manchester City. The Spaniard led the club to a historic Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup treble in 2022/23. Guardiola’s all-conquering team won a further two trophies in 2023, lifting the UEFA Super Cup before rounding off the calendar year in perfect style by triumphing at the FIFA Club World Cup. Guardiola came out on top in the voting with 28 points, ahead of Italian duo Luciano Spalletti (18 points) and Simone Inzaghi (11 points). The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony also recognised the standout goal of the year as Brazilian midfielder Guilherme Madruga won the FIFA Puskás Award 2023 for his astonishing overhead kick.
The Botafogo-SP star’s acrobatic effort came out on top ahead of an audacious rabona from Sporting’s Nuno Santos, and Brighton teenager Julio Enciso’s long-range thunderbolt. The accolade recognises the most spectacular goal in men’s and women’s football across the qualification period, which was between 19 December 2022 and 20 August 2023, and is named in honour of legendary Hungarian forward Ferenc Puskás. Marta was honoured with The FIFA Special Award in recognition of her illustrious career. She scored a staggering 115 goals in 175 appearances for Brazil and inspired millions, passing on her passion for football in a career that saw her reign supreme in Brazil, Sweden and the USA. As of 2025, FIFA will introduce a new award to honour her legendary achievements - the best goal scored in women’s football will receive the ‘Marta Award’. Hugo Daniel “Toto” Iniguez was awarded The FIFA Fan Award for 2023, after the dedicated Colon de Santa Fe fan went viral after he was seen feeding his son during an Argentine Primera Division game against Barracas Central in May 2023. The heart-warming scene displayed the father’s desire to build a relationship between his two-month-old son and his favourite club from the earliest possible age, with the moment now cemented in history.
The FIFA Fair Play Award goes to the Brazil Senior Men's National Team Players! 🇧🇷
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) January 15, 2024
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The Brazil men’s national team were recognised with the FIFA Fair Play award for their powerful stand against racism. In a friendly against Guinea in June 2023, The Seleção swapped their traditional yellow jerseys for an all-black kit in a show of solidarity with star forward Vinicius Junior, who had been subjected to sickening racist abuse while in action for Real Madrid.
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