Follow live updates from today’s ceremony in London as World Cup-winning star Lionel Messi adds FIFA award to his Ballon d’Or crown
Getty Images
Reader reaction: ‘Messi didn’t deserve it’
Subscriber Niko N has equally critical opinions of the men’s award winner: “Look, I get it. Messi won a World Cup finally. He has won literally everything there is to win now in European football.
“However, what did he do during the club season? Did he do anything that could possibly stand out compared to what Haaland did?
“I honestly don’t think so. I honestly believe they gave Messi this award as one last thank you.
“From now on it will be between Haaland, Vinicius Jr, and Mbappe. Ronaldo and Messi will head into the sunset now and the new young lads will finally take over.”
Reader reaction: ‘Why would Wiegman get the best coach?’
Subscriber Kerry BL has sent us some strong words about the women’s winners!
“Tell me this wasn’t a popularity contest without being a popularity contest.
“Why would Wiegman get the best coach? Wiegman absolutely blunders the World Cup final with her starting line-up and changes, then fails to qualify for the Olympics in a sad look for the England team.
“And this England team makes up most of the best 11? And Alex Morgan makes the best 11? She has had arguably her worst professional year ever.
“Why was the Barcelona coach not the winner of the best coach? 80%+ of his team makes up the national team so if you think we shouldn’t even consider Jorge Vilda, which frankly I’m completely OK with, then who coached these same World Cup winning players, including two of the English players all year long.”
You can join the conversation! Email us at: [email protected]
Puskas Award vote totals – fans preferred Santos
(Getty Images)
- Guilherme Madruga (22 points)
- Nuno Santos (18 points)
- Julio Enciso (17 points)
The Puskas Award is determined by a combination of votes from fans and expert panelists. While Madruga’s bicycle kick took the prize, it’s worth noting that the fans had Santos’ rabona as their top vote-getter.
Coach vote tallies
(Getty Images)
Both of the winning coaches took their awards by a significant margin.
Men’s Coach
- Pep Guardiola (28 points)
- Luciano Spalletti (18 points)
- Simone Inzaghi (11 points)
Women’s Coach
- Sarina Wiegman (28 points)
- Emma Hayes (18 points)
- Jonatan Giraldez (14 points)
Earps: Public speaking is harder than saving World Cup final penalty
(Getty Images)
Mary Earps spoke to the media after winning her award:: “I just realised I didn’t thank any family and friends and I feel like an idiot!”
Whether giving a speech at an awards ceremony or facing a penalty in a World Cup final is harder: “For a penalty, I’m more geared up. This is totally out of my comfort zone.”
On winning this award two straight years: “It just feels even more special. To have a level of consistency is the most difficult thing you can do in football. It is really hard to maintain levels when people have really high expectations of you.”
On speaking out about her mental health: “It’s not something I want to harp on about, but it’s important that we are honest. Our lives our not just these shiny rainbows, I would not be here without my family, who I forgot to thank.”
GO FURTHER
Mental health in the WSL and Premier League: Are clubs doing enough to support players?
Goalkeeper vote tallies
(Getty Images)
Ederson just edged out his competition for the men’s goalkeeper award, while Mary Earps dominated hers!
Men’s Goalkeeper
- Ederson (23 points)
- Thibaut Courtois (20 points)
- Yassine Bounou (16 points)
Women’s Goalkeeper
- Mary Earps (28 points)
- Catalina Coll (14 points)
- Mackenzie Arnold (12 points)
Caicedo takes second place, Hermoso third
(Getty Images)
As for the vote tallies for the women’s player award, Aitana Bonmati took first place with 52 points.
Linda Caicedo was second with 40, while Jennifer Hermoso came in third with 36.
Messi and Haaland were virtually tied!
The winners of the best player awards were determined by a combination of votes from national team coaches, national team captains, journalists and supporters.
Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland both finished the accounting with 48 points! Messi only edged the Manchester City player for the award by virtue of receiving more first-place votes from the national team captains.
Kylian Mbappe finished third with 35 points.
A picture’s worth a thousand words
(Getty Images)
The body language in this photo…
Bonmati: ‘I owe this to the teams I played in, Barcelona and the national team’
(Getty Images)
In addition to her powerful words in English that closed her acceptance speech, here is what Aitana Bonmati said in Spanish upon winning her award: “When 2023 came to an end, I was nostalgic, because it was an exceptional year I will remember all my life. I owe this to the teams I played in, Barcelona and the national team.
“I must thank all the people who have helped me. Without you I would not be the player I am. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would like to congratulate all the nominees.”
Did Lionel Messi deserve to win?
We want to hear from you!
Did you disagree with any of the winners? Which ones surprised you?
Most importantly, do you agree that FIFA desperately needs to change the awkward name of this award?!
You can get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]
Include your name in your email and we may just include it in this blog!
Two World Cup winners vs Seven Lionesses?
(Getty Images)
Going back to the Women’s World XI, there are not enough Spanish players in the line-up. They dominated England in the World Cup final and although the selection is judged over the whole season, there should be more in there.
Bonmati: Women are ‘changing the rules of the game, and the world’
(Getty Images)
Aitana Bonmati led Spain to a World Cup title this past summer and then saw her team’s accomplishment overshadowed by the abhorrent behaviour of Luis Rubiales.
After giving her award acceptance speech in Spanish, she ended in English just now, saying, “I am proud of being part of a powerful generation of women, part of changing the rules of the game, and the world.”
Women’s player winner: Aitana Bonmati
(Getty Images)
So both of the two big awards match the winners named at the most recent Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Bonmati beats out her Spain team-mate Jennifer Hermoso and the 18-year-old rising star Linda Caicedo to claim the prize.
New award named after Marta
(Getty Images)
After Marta’s speech, Thierry Henry announces that a new award will be created named after Marta, to honour the best goal in women’s global football each year. Presumably that means that the Puskas award will be limited to goals scored by men moving forward.
Marta then points out, quite pointedly, that the video FIFA played during the ceremony listed her national team goals as five fewer than the real total. No messing with her!
Marta honoured
(Getty Images)
Marta has been given a special award in honour of the six times she was named the best women’s player in the world by FIFA.
She’s quite emotional, tearing up as she speaks in Portuguese.
Messi was in attendance at the Ballon d’Or…
How have they not planned for this?!
Lionel Messi isn’t here so Thierry Henry picks up the trophy but it’s a very awkward exchange.
What does that say about the prestige of the award?
Messi not in attendance
(Getty Images)
Lionel Messi did not make the trip to London to claim this award, so Thierry Henry jokingly accepts it on his behalf.
He points out that his co-host, Reshmin Chowdhury, is a Tottenham fan, and is therefore not used to winning trophies!
Read the full article here