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2022 World Cup winner with Argentina, 2024 Inter Miami player: Lionel Messi
Photograph:
DANIEL RAMALHO / AFP
Lionel Messi again and again: The Argentine World Cup winner has been voted World Player of the Year despite his farewell to the big sporting stage. The 36-year-old was honoured in absentia in London, surprisingly beating goalkeeper Erling Haaland of treble winners Manchester City and Kylian Mbappé of Paris Saint-Germain. Messi, who moved to Inter Miami in the USA in the summer, was able to celebrate his eighth FIFA award – at the Hammersmith Apollo rather restrained applause could be heard.
Haaland would have deserved the award, officially dubbed "The Best", after his outstanding year with City. The former Dortmund player scored 44 goals in 54 games across all competitions – and won not only the treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, but also the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Nevertheless, it was Messi again, which calls into question the sporting value of the award, which has been in competition with the Ballon d'Or again for a few years now. Messi had won this last year because the World Cup title in Qatar 2022 was also part of the assessment period. At club level, the 36-year-old has long since arrived on the periphery of world football.
Coaches, players, journalists – and the fans, the majority of whom still carry Messi in their hearts – are eligible to vote.
sak/dpa