Lionel Messi continues to fight side by side with the great football elite worldwide for great individual recognition, as this Thursday the list of 12 candidates who will win the Best Award was announced, including the great Argentine star.
Last February, Messi was crowned winner of The Best 2022 Awards after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup title with Argentina.
Messi currently has two more from The Best in his shows, but the third could arrive in this new installment in 2023 as the Argentine is among the 12 finalists aiming for FIFA’s top award.
It is important to highlight that the list of candidates takes into account the performance of each player individually in the periods between December 19, 2022 and August 20, 2023.
This fact complicates the picture somewhat for Messi, because although he spent his best year in football with Argentina, it was due at club level with PSG, while his arrival at Inter Miami marked an important resurgence for the Argentine.
Voting will be active on the official FIFA website from September 14th. However, the exact date on which the awards ceremony will take place is currently unknown.
Who are the 12 nominees for The Best 2023 Award?
Julián Álvarez – Argentina/Manchester City
Marcelo Brozovic – Croatia/Inter-Al Nassr
Kevin De Bruyne – Belgium/Manchester City
Ilkay Gundogan – Germany / Manchester City-Barcelona
Erling Haaland – Norway/Manchester City
Khvicha Kvarastkhelia – Georgia / Naples
Kylian Mbappe – France / PSG
Lionel Messi – Argentina / PSG-inter Miami
Victor Osimhen – Nigeria / Naples
Declan Rice – Inglaterra / West Ham – Arsenal
Bernardo Silva – Portugal / Manchester City
