(Zurich) Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are finalists for the FIFA MVP award in 2023.
FIFA unveiled its short list on Thursday with the same top 3 in the ballot as that for obtaining the Golden Ball, which was won by Messi last October.
Although the voting period for the Golden Ball covered the 2022 World Cup, which was won by Argentina and Messi, the latter had already clinched his seventh FIFA MVP award in February at the following his excellent performances in Qatar.
Among the women, the short list includes two champions from the recent World Cup, the Spaniards Aitana Bonmati and Jenni Hermoso, as well as the Colombian Linda Caicedo.
The FIFA MVP award could go to Haaland, whose spectacular season helped Manchester City complete a treble of Champions League, English Premier League and FA Cup honors (FA Cup).
Messi and Mbappé allowed Paris Saint-Germain to win the French championship, before being eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Messi then joined Inter Miami and quickly helped the Florida club win the League Cup.
For her part, Bonmati won the Golden Ball in October and the FIFA Most Valuable European Player title for the last season in August. She also contributed to FC Barcelona’s victories in the Champions League and the Spanish League.
Bonmati took advantage of her platform after receiving her award in August to show her support for her teammate Hermoso, who was kissed without her consent by the president of the Spanish Soccer Federation, Luis Rubiales, during the trophy presentation ceremony of the Women’s Soccer World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
The FIFA trophy ceremony will take place on January 15 in London.
Voting was conducted online with national team captains, coaches, a handful of journalists and fans, and the voting period concluded in October.
