Lionel Messi during yesterday’s training session in Miami.

He met and signed former Argentine player Marcos Mondaini. Then this player got a tattoo of Messi’s signature

 The FIFA award for the best player of 2023 has officially announced the list of candidates, with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland leading and notably, Cristiano Ronaldo is once again without a name.

FIFA developed its own competition, the FIFA Footballer of the Year award (FIFA), after working with the Ballon d’Or organizers, and finally announced in 2016 that they were severing their partnership with France Football.

FIFA has reinstated this award under a new name, continuing the longstanding custom of recognizing the year’s top player. A lot of international football stars are anticipating this match. Even though it cannot be compared to the Golden Ball, the reputation is nevertheless a distinguished endorsement from professionals.

Ronaldo is not on the FIFA Player of the Year list. Photo: GETTY.

It should be noted that Cristiano Ronaldo once dominated these individual award presentations, but he hasn’t been on the podium since 2021. The Portuguese superstar is currently being denied recognition by FIFA for a second time. after a subpar half-season with Manchester United, two in a row. Previously, Messi was in the lead and Ronaldo was not on the shortlist for the Golden Ball award.

Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi are currently in the lead in the chase for the priceless object. The Argentine superstar had a fantastic 2022, earning the Golden Ball and hoisting the FIFA World Cup for the first time. At the professional level, forward Messi also had a strong season, tallying 41 goals and assists for Paris Saint-Germain.

With 11 goals and 5 assists for Inter Miami’s new team in the American Professional Soccer League (MLS), this attacker is also making an impression. Erling Haaland, meanwhile, shattered every record in his debut season with Manchester City and significantly helped the team win the European Triple.

Messi has many advantages over Haaland when he plays well at PSG and especially contributes greatly to helping Argentina win the world championship. Photo: GETTY.

The young Norwegian star has scored 52 goals in all competitions with the Cityzens, including a record-breaking 36-goal campaign in the Premier League. Haaland is considered Lionel Messi’s biggest rival in the race to win the FIFA best title.

Other notable candidates include World Cup champion Julian Alvarez, Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Kylian Mbappe, among many others . However, the top position is difficult to escape from the hands of Messi or Haaland, depending on the number of votes, it is also somewhat emotional.

Ronaldo had a poor season compared to Messi when he missed both the Golden Ball and FIFA’s best award of the year. Photo: GETTY.

After the reintroduction of the award in 2016, only three players have achieved the FIFA the best award more than once. Cristiano Ronaldo won the award the first time, before successfully defending it in 2017. The Portuguese legend continued with three podium finishes before his absence.

After a seventh-place finish in 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to appear on the re-candidate list. Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi are two other players who have won the award twice.