'Greatest': Ronaldo ends the Greatest of All time debate with honest answer on Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi clinched the Best FIFA Men's Player Award for the third consecutive year after a close contest with Erling Haaland. Meanwhile, Aitana Bonmati, an acclaimed striker from Barcelona and Spain, received the coveted Best FIFA Women's Player Award during a grand ceremony in London on January 16, 2024. Lionel Messi has ended the ‘GOAT” debate, according to several footballers and experts. 

3 things you need to know 

• Lionel Messi won the FIFA Men’s Player Award 
• Aitana Bonmati received the FIFA Women’s Player Award 
• Pep Guardiola won ‌Best Men's Manager of the Year award

Also Read: Marseille signs defender Ulisses Garcia to boost options at left-back

Lionel Messi is dubbed the "Greatest" by Ronaldo

At the FIFA Best Awards 2023, Lionel Messi was honored with the Men’s Best Player of the Year award for the second consecutive time. Despite Messi's absence to accept the award, the accolade added to his impressive list of achievements. Messi, known for his historic rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, has been at the center of debates about who deserves the title of the greatest football player.

During the ramp walk towards the award ceremony in London, Goal.com posed a question, asking individuals to describe Lionel Messi in one word. In response to this query, not Cristiano Ronaldo but the Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario referred to Messi as the 'Greatest.' This acknowledgment from another football legend adds to the ongoing discourse surrounding Messi's status in the football world.

 Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo sends big message following Messi's triumph

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland were tied with 48 points for the award 

Lionel Messi won the FIFA The Best Men's Player Award for 2023 despite having the same number of points as the runner-up, Erling Haaland. According to the governing body's rules, the player who receives the most votes from national team captains wins the prize. Messi and Haaland gained 48 points from different groups, with Messi receiving 13 votes from captains, 11 from coaches and the media, and another 13 from fans, while Haaland received 11 votes from captains, 13 from coaches and the media, and 11 from supporters. Notably, Messi's success was mainly due to his superior vote total among the captains.

This victory was Messi's fourth FIFA Best Men's Player award in his brilliant career. The award assessment period ran from August 2022 until December 19, 2023. During this season, Messi's performances were critical to PSG's Ligue 1 title victory, with 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games. Erling Haaland, on the other hand, had incredible success with Manchester City, winning the European treble and finishing the season with 52 goals in 53 games.