The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023: Full list of award winners

Lionel Messi hit the headlines at the Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 despite not actually turning up to the gala in London. The Argentina captain somewhat surprisingly took the prize for Best Men’s Player following his move to Inter Miami in the summer 2023, although the award officially covered the period between 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023.

What did Messi win in 2023?

In that time, the 36-year-old won Ligue 1 alongside fellow finalist Kylian Mbappé but was unable to make an impact in the Champions League. He made a superb start to life in the United States with Inter Miami, lifting the 2023 Leagues Cup, but has so far seen his MLS career hampered by injuries.

Mbappé scored 52 goals across 2023 but found his best form towards the end of the year, while Erling Haaland, who had been the favourite for the men’s award, found the net 50 times and won a Premier League/Champions League/FA Cup treble with Manchester City. In the end, Messi edged out the Norwegian as a result of a tiebreaker.

Bonmatí takes women’s award after Champions League and World Cup wins

On the women’s side, Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmatí picked up the Best Women’s Player gong ahead of international teammate Jenni Hermoso and Colombian starlet Linda Caicedo after winning the Champions League with her club and the Women’s World Cup with her country.

Guardiola named Men’s Coach of the Year, Wiegman extends record

The first award of the night went to City head coach Pep Guardiola, who guided his team to the aforementioned treble in 2022-23, a feat only neighbours Manchester United had ever achieved (in 1998-99). The former Barcelona manager was named Men’s Coach of the Year, with England’s Sarina Wiegman apologising for collecting the Women’s Coach prize for a fourth time, continuing her record as the most decorated individual in the history of the awards.

Ederson caps superb City season, Earps goes back-to-back

While the outfield players tend to hog the spotlight, there were also awards for Best Men’s and Women’s Goalkeepers, which both went to players based in Manchester. Ederson secured City’s second prize of the night, while United’s Mary Earps, who helped England reach the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, won the women’s gong for the second year running.

FIFA Puskás Award winner

Guilherme Madruga of Brazilian club Botafogo, meanwhile, won the Puskás Award for best goal for their speculative effort in Brazil’s second division against Novorizontino in June 2023.

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