The 36-year-old emerged victorious over Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, despite Haaland’s notable achievements in leading Manchester City to a treble.

Messi, who had previously won the award in 2019 and 2022, secured the honor after his contributions to winning the French Ligue 1 with PSG and the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami during the assessment period between December 19, 2022, and August 20, 2023.

Notably, neither Haaland nor Messi attended the award ceremony in London, with co-host Thierry Henry accepting the trophy on Messi’s behalf.

In addition to the Men’s Player award, other notable winners at the 2023 The Best FIFA Awards include:

1. The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper: Ederson (Brazil/Manchester City)

2. The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper:

 Mary Earps (England/Manchester United)

3. The Best FIFA Women’s Coach:

Sarina Wiegman (Dutch/England national women’s team)

4. The FIFA Puskas Award:

Guilherme Madruga for his goal for Botafogo vs Novorizontino

5. The FIFA Fair Play Award:

 The Brazil national team for wearing an all-black kit in support of Vinícius Júnior, who faced racial abuse in Spain.

6. The Best FIFA Men’s Coach:

 Pep Guardiola (Spanish/Manchester City)

7. The Best FIFA Fan Award:

Club Atlético Colón fan Hugo Miguel Iniguez, recognized for feeding his newborn baby in the stands during a Colón match in Argentina.