Three stars can still hope to win the "World Player of the Year" title
FIFA will choose the 2023 world footballer in January - and the remaining candidates are hand-picked: Lionel Messi can hope to win his eighth title, and a female world champion is also likely to make the running in the women's competition.
Argentina's world champion captain Lionel Messi can hope to win the next big award. The 36-year-old is one of the three finalists for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, as announced by the world governing body. In addition to the Inter Miami playmaker, Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappé and Manchester City's Erling Haaland are also among the top three. The trio had already been nominated for the Ballon d'Or this year, with Messi coming out on top.
The winner will be announced at a FIFA gala in London on January 15. A jury made up of captains and coaches of the national teams, journalists and fans were allowed to vote. Messi also received the award for 2022 in February of this year, a good two months after winning the World Cup with Argentina. As a seven-time world footballer, he is already the record holder.
As with the Ballon d'Or, Messi's great rival Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the shortlist. Ilkay Gündogan was the only German national team captain among the twelve candidates; none of the candidates on the list play in the Bundesliga.
The women's finalists are the Spanish world champions Aitana Bonmati from FC Barcelona and Jennifer Hermoso as well as the Colombian Linda Caicedo from Real Madrid. Caicedo, who is currently missing her club due to an ankle injury, was recently presented with the "Golden Girl" award by "Tuttosport", which recognizes the best young player in the world. Caicedo had thus succeeded DFB star Jule Brandt.
The Spaniard Alexia Putellas had been honored for 2022, Bonmati had received the Ballon d'Or this year. One player from the Bundesliga did not make the shortlist of the best 16 players.
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Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, alongside Lionel Messi, are also in contention for the FIFA World Player of the Year title, aiming to add this accolade to their impressive soccer resumes. Despite his absence from the shortlist, Cristiano Ronaldo's soccer brilliance continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Source: www.ntv.de
