Manuel Sanchez Gomez (EFE) London

London

Updated Monday,15January2024-22:54

In a gala full of absences, especially on the men's level, Leo Messi, who did not show up for the awards, and Aitana Bonmatí, who has closed an unbeatable season, were crowned the best players in the world in The Best of FIFA.

Neither Kylian Mbappe, who played last night for Paris Saint Germain, nor Leo Messi, who did not go to London in what may be the last grand prix of his career, nor Erling Haaland, who is recovering from an injury that has caused him to miss the last nine games with City, were at the Apollo in London.

The three male candidates for the most important award of the night left aside a gala with a larger presence of women's football and FIFA decided that all the awards would be given by women.

Thus, The Best confirmed Aitana's superiority in a brutal season for the Barcelona player, in which she has won absolutely everything in which she has participated. After triumphing with Barcelona in the Spanish League, the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup, being chosen as the best player in all these tournaments, she also won the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with Spain, with the addition of the tournament's Ballon d'Or. To this he added the first Ballon d'Or of his career in Paris in October.

Aitana, who beat Jennifer Hermoso and Linda Caicedo on Monday, is the first person in history to win all the prizes in every tournament she has played.

"Two weeks ago when 2023 ended I got a little nostalgic, it has been an exceptional and unique year, which I will remember for the rest of my life. Starting 2024 collecting this award is a source of pride, but I owe it to the teams I have belonged to. Without you I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't be the player I am today. I am delighted to belong to a generation of people who are changing the rules of the game and the world," said Aitana in her winning speech.

The Barcelona player was also present in FIFA's ideal eleven, along with Real Madrid's Olga Carmona, being the only two Spaniards in this award. The eleven was made up of Mary Earps, in goal, Carmona, Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood, in goal; Keira Walsh, Alessia Russo and Lauren James, in midfield, and Aitana, Ella Toone, Alex Morgan and Sam Kerr, in attack. Neither Jennifer Hermoso nor Linda Caicedo, despite being nominated for the best player award, made it into the starting eleven.

The presence of nine players on stage contrasted with only Rúben Dias and Ederson Moraes who picked up the best men's eleven, made up of Courtois in goal, Kyle Walker, Rúben Dias and John Stones, in defence; Bernardo Silva, Jude Bellingham and Kevin de Bruyne, in midfield, and Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Leo Messi and Vinícius Júnior, in attack.

Despite the fact that Courtois came on as the best of the eleven, Ederson was voted the best goalkeeper of the season, one of the great contradictions of the night. Rodrigo Hernandez, scorer of the goal that made City European champions and indisputably the best pivot in the world last season, was also absent.

In the award for best male player, the predictions were broken and Messi won what may be the last grand prix of his sporting career.

The man from Rosario won the award, despite the fact that the voting format did not favor him.

Unlike the Ballon d'Or he won in October, the eighth of his career, the period that counts for The Best dates from December 20, 2022 to August 20, 2023, i.e. he leaves out the World Cup in Qatar. Even so, Messi's achievements in that time, the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami, and Ligue 1, with Paris Saint Germain, were enough to snatch the Haaland award, who scored 52 goals in 53 games and won the treble with Manchester City, with the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Messi did not go to London and did not send anyone in his place to collect a trophy he has already won three times, in 2019, ahead of Virgil Van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo, and in 2022, beating Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema.

Pep Guardiola, during the gala. ADRIAN DENNISAFP

The one who was there was Pep Guardiola, who took the award for best coach, ahead of Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti, in one of the clearest awards of the night, thanks to the Catalan's hat-trick, the second in the history of English football, after Manchester United in the 1998-1999 season, and the second in his career. after the one he achieved with Barcelona in 2009.

"I would like to share this award with Luciano, for his great season with Napoli after so many years, and Simone, for how difficult he made it for us in the final with that wonderful squad. And I also want to share it with the owners of City, especially Ferran Soriano, for creating this idea, and with Txiki Begiristan, for trusting me," Guardiola said.

The Spaniard also dedicated the award to his 92-year-old father, who accompanied him to the ceremony.

In the award for best women's football coach, England coach Sarina Wiegman triumphed ahead of Barcelona's Jonatan Giráldez and Chelsea's Emma Hayes. The Dutchwoman won this award for the fourth time thanks to the World Cup final to which she led the English and the conquest of the Arnold Cup and the Finalissima.

It was not the only award for England, as Mary Earps, clear favourites, beat Cata Coll and Mackenzie Arnold in the Best Goalkeeper category, and added this award to the Golden Glove of the World Cup, where they lost the final against Spain despite saving a penalty from Hermoso.

In the Puskas award, Guilherme Madruga, who scored a bicycle kick for Botafogo in Brazil's Serie B, emerged as the winner ahead of Paraguay's Julio Enciso's missile and Sporting Portugal's Nuno Santos' rabona against Boavista.

The award for best fan went to Hugo Miguel Iñiguez, a Colón de Santa Fe fan who was filmed in the stands of the stadium while breastfeeding his son to the rhythm of the chants.

The Best votes are split 25% between national coaches, national captains, a group of journalists and fan votes.