Lionel Messi beats Erling Haaland to The Best FIFA award, Aitana Barca star Bonmati wins women's crown

Lionel Messi has won The Best FIFA Men's Player award, while Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women's gong.

Messi, who did not attend the ceremony in London, is perhaps a surprise winner given the voting period did not include the 2022 World Cup, when he sensationally led Argentina to the trophy.

Those exploits in Qatar appear to have cast a long shadow. During the period that applies to the award, he scored nine goals in 21 matches for Paris Saint-Germain.

In the summer he left at the end of his contract, joining up with MLS side Inter Miami despite a mooted return to Barcelona. He was part of the team that won the Leagues Cup, and also scored 11 times in 14 matches with his new team.

For the national team, he has five goals in three games in the voting period and is currently preparing for the return of MLS this year.

Haaland was widely tipped to win the award after enjoying an exceptional 2023, winning the Treble under Pep Guardiola in his first season at the Etihad Stadium.

In his debut Premier League campaign, he crushed the goalscoring record with 36 goals in 35 appearances, while he bagged an astonishing 52 goals in all competitions.

In the women's award, Barcelona and Spain star Bonmati won in recognition for her season winning the treble with Barcelona, as well as Spain's World Cup triumph in the summer.

The midfielder is an essential part of both her club and national team's success and she praised her team-mates, saying: "It’s been an incredible and unique year that I will remember for the rest of my life. I owe this to the teams that I play with: Barcelona and the national team.

"Without my team-mates I would not be here picking up these awards. I will always be thankful to those who have not failed me: my family and my friends.

"I want to congratulate all the nominees and say that I am proud of being part of a powerful generation of women who are changing the rules of the game."

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