Lionel Messi wins 2023 The Best FIFA Men's Player award

Lionel Messi has been named the 2023 The Best FIFA Men's Player, claiming the award for the third time after previous wins in 2019 and 2022.

The Argentina legend, who also picked up his eighth Ballon d'Or prize in October for leading his country to glory at the 2022 World Cup, saw off competition from Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City goal-machine Erling Haaland.

During the award's qualifying period of 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023, Messi left European football after winning his second Ligue 1 title with PSG to join Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami.

Over in North America, the 36-year-old dragged David Beckham's club to their first ever piece of domestic silverware with the Leagues Cup, top-scoring in the tournament with ten goals in seven games.

The former Barcelona star also enjoyed another productive year in international football, scoring his 100th goal for Argentina in a 7-0 victory over Curacao last March. He became just the third men's footballer ever to bring up a century of goals after Iran legend Ali Daeli and Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo.

It is Messi's second consecutive Best FIFA Men's Player award after winning in 2022. Robert Lewandowski claimed the gong two years on the trot in 2020 and 2021, while current Al Nassr forward Ronaldo picked it up in its first two years in 2016 and 2017.

Luka Modric, who won in 2018 after a stunning year both domestically and at international level, is the only other winner in the men's category.

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