Messi Will Skip FIFA Ceremony After Losing 'Best Player of the Year' Award

Inter Miami and Argentina national team forward Lionel Messi will not attend the 2023 FIFA Awards ceremony due to his loss in the 'Best Player of the Year' category, according to DSports. The event is scheduled to take place on January 15 in London.

According to the publication, the reason for this decision stems from the voting results where Messi was not selected as the winner. In addition to the Argentine, contenders for the award include French PSG forward Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland. Messi has previously been named FIFA's Best Player twice.

Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 after spending two years at PSG. On August 20 of last year, the Argentine secured the first cup for America, the Leagues Cup. After playing 14 matches for Inter Miami, Messi has scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists.

In December 2022, Messi became a world champion with the Argentina national team. This marks the first such cup in the star footballer’s career, during which he scored seven goals in seven matches, four of which were penalties.