Argentina's Lionel Messi has been named FIFA Player of the Year for the second consecutive year at the The Best awards ceremony in London.
The Inter Miami forward won from Norway’s Erling Haaland of Manchester City, and Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, his former teammate at PSG.
His performances for Paris Saint-Germain and his debut appearances with Inter Miami seared into the adjudicators’ minds. They based their judgement solely on accomplishments between 19 December 2022 and 20 August 2023, following Argentina’s triumph in the 2022 World Cup.
Following the second half of the 2022-2023 season in the French capital, where he just managed to secure the title ahead of Lens, Messi crossed the Atlantic to Florida and the MLS.
He made his debut for Miami on 22 July 2023, and less than a month later, won the Leagues Cup with his new team, managing 10 goals and one assist in seven matches.
