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Messi, Mbappe, Haaland finalists for FIFA Best Men’s Player award

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Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland

Messi, Mbappe, Haaland finalists for FIFA Best Men’s Player award

Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have been announced as the three finalists for The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award 2023.

Twelve players were initially nominated for the accolade, but the shortlist has been whittled down to three.

This was done by an international panel of men’s national team coaches and captains, as well as journalists and fans.

Messi received The Best Men’s Player award in 2022 after successfully steering Argentina to 2022 World Cup glory – the nation’s first triumph on the global stage for 36 years.
The 36-year-old then returned from his memorable spell in Qatar to help Paris Saint-Germain win a record 11th Ligue 1 title last season, scoring 16 goals and registering a league-high 16 assists in 32 games.
Messi, who is the all-time leading scorer in Europe’s top-five leagues, is now enjoying a fresh challenge in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami where he has scored 11 goals in 14 games and won the 2023 Leagues Cup in August.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has also scored eight goals in as many appearances for Argentina in 2023, surpassing the century mark and taking his impressive goal tally to 106 in 180 caps.

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While Messi was named in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 Team of the Year for his performances with PSG last season, former teammate Mbappe went one better by receiving the league’s Player of the Year award following another remarkable goalscoring campaign for Les Parisiens.

The 24-year-old dusted himself down following France’s heartbreaking defeat in the World Cup final – in which he scored a memorable hat-trick – and established himself as the focal point of PSG’s attack en route to Ligue 1 glory last season.

Mbappe scored 17 goals in the final 20 Ligue 1 matches last season, during the qualifying period for The Best 2023, and ended the campaign as the Golden Boot winner with 29 goals in 34 appearances.

The forward also found the net seven times in eight Champions League outings as well as scored five goals in a 50-minute period during a 7-0 Coupe de France victory over Pays de Cassel.

Mbappe, who became PSG’s all-time record goalscorer in April, has since taken the captain’s armband for club and country and has made an electric start to the 2023-24 season; as well as scoring 18 goals in 20 games for PSG across all competitions, including 15 strikes in just 14 Ligue 1 outings, Mbappe has also contributed with 10 goals and seven assists in just nine international games for France in 2023.

Last but certainly not least, Man City’s goal machine Haaland is also up for the accolade after helping Pep Guardiola’s side win a historic Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble in 2022-23.

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Haaland scooped a plethora of individual awards including the European Golden Shoe after netting 52 goals in 53 games for the Citizens across all tournaments last season, netting a record-breaking 36 strikes in just 35 Premier League appearances as well as 12 goals in 11 Champions League outings – winning the Golden Boot in both competitions.

Across the 33 games that qualify for The Best 2023, Haaland scored 28 goals in total, with 19 of those netted in the current campaign, unsurprisingly topping the Premier League scoring charts once again with 14 strikes in 15 matches.

Haaland has also been prolific on the international stage with Norway, scoring six goals in as many games in 2023 to increase his overall goals tally to 27 in 29 caps, just three behind the nation’s all-time record scorer Jorgen Juve who has held the record since 1937.

Elsewhere, FIFA have also announced that Spain duo Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso as well as Colombia’s Linda Caicedo are the three finalists for The Best FIFA Women’s Player Award 2023.

The three finalists for the FIFA Puskas Award have also been confirmed, with exceptional goals from Julio Enciso, Guilherme Madruga and Nuno Santos all in contention to win the 2023 prize.

The voting procedure for The Best FIFA awards is supervised by independent observers and the results will be announced following the awards ceremony on January 15.

Messi, Mbappe, Haaland finalists for FIFA Best Men’s Player award

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Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich

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December 28, 2024

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Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich

LONDON: Arsenal moved up to second place in the Premier League with a 1-0 home win against Ipswich on Friday.

Mikel Arteta’s side is six points behind leader Liverpool, which has a game in hand.

Second-bottom Ipswich had won two of its last three away games but was up against it from the start at the Emirates.

The visitors did not have one touch in the Gunners’ box during the first 45 minutes and, although Ipswich showed signs of life after the break, it was Arsenal which continued to dominate the game, marshaled by Declan Rice in midfield.

Kai Havertz got the only goal midway through the first half when he knocked in a cross from Leandro Trossard.

Havertz, Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus all had chances but none of them could add to Arsenal’s tally.

“It’s so tough, every team is tough to break down,” Havertz said. “They fight for each other and at the end we’re very proud for the win.”

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Arsenal is a point above third-place Chelsea and two points clear of season surprise team Nottingham Forest in fourth.

Seagulls and Bees share the points on south coast

Brighton had most of the chances but could not find the net in a 0-0 draw with Brentford that extended the south coast club’s winless run to six league games.

It was a frustrating night for the home side and especially Julio Enciso. The Paraguay striker had a host of opportunities to score but couldn’t make them count.

Along with Southampton, Brentford has the worst away record in the league with seven losses and two draws and it was easy to see why in this toothless performance.

Brentford had an early goal from Yoane Wissa ruled out for offside and, although it came a bit more into the game in the second half, it failed to pressure Icelandic goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, who made his Premier League debut eight minutes before halftime when Mark Flekken went off with a thigh injury.

One bright spot for the home side was the return of winger Solly March. He came on as a late substitute to make his first appearance for Brighton since injuring a knee against Manchester City 14 months ago.

The result leaves Brighton in 10th place with 26 points, one spot and two points ahead of the Bees.

Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich

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Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]

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December 27, 2024

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Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]

The winners of the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards were unveiled Friday evening in Dubai, celebrating outstanding achievements in football over the past year.

The event honored players, managers, and clubs across various categories.

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior stole the spotlight, clinching both the Best Player and Best Forward of the Year awards, reinforcing his status as one of the world’s finest talents.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Al Nassr captain, added another accolade to his storied career by securing the Best Middle Eastern Player Award, while Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was recognized as the Best Emerging Player of the Year.

Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti was awarded Best Coach of the Year, and Jorge Mendes received the Best Football Agent Award, further cementing their influence in the football world.

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2024 Globe Soccer Award categories and winners

Alongside the standout men’s and women’s categories, here is a rundown of the other winners:

Best Men’s player (18 finalists): Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

Best Midfielder (11 nominees): Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

Best Forward (10 nominees): Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

Best Women’s player (12 finalists): Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)

Best Men’s club (10 finalists): Real Madrid

Best Women’s club (4 finalists): Barcelona

Best Coach (7 finalists, all in men’s football): Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)

Best Emerging player (7 finalists, all men): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

Best Agent (7 nominees): Jorge Mendes

Best Sporting Director (6 nominees): Piero Ausilio (Inter Milan)

Best Middle Eastern player (5 finalists): Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)

Best Middle Eastern coach: Jorge Jesus (Al Hilal)

Best Middle Eastern club (4 finalists): Al Ain

Revelation award: Olympiacos

Maradona Award: Jude Bellingham

 

Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]

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Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo

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December 27, 2024

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Vinicius Junior and Cristiano Ronaldo

Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has reignited controversy surrounding the 2024 Ballon d’Or, accusing the organisers of unfairly denying Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior the prestigious honour.

Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Friday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner openly criticised the decision to crown Manchester City’s Rodri as the year’s top player.

“In my opinion, he [Vinícius] deserved to win the golden ball [Ballon d’Or award],” Ronaldo declared on stage.

“It was unfair in my opinion. I say here in front of everybody. They give it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinícius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final.”

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Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win, attributed to his pivotal role in Manchester City’s historic treble-winning season, has sparked ongoing debates.

Ronaldo’s remarks have added weight to criticisms that the award often overlooks key performances in favour of broader narratives.

Vinicius’ absence from the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris this October, along with his Real Madrid teammates, was widely interpreted as a silent protest against perceived biases in the voting process.

Despite missing out on the Ballon d’Or, Vinícius has enjoyed an exceptional year.

The 24-year-old Brazilian winger was crowned FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player earlier this year and was recently named the Best Men’s Player at the Globe Soccer Awards.

His consistent performances, including his decisive goal in the Champions League final, have cemented his reputation as one of football’s most dynamic players.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who received the Best Middle East Player Award during the ceremony, praised the Globe Soccer Awards for their fairness and transparency.

“Globe Soccer does things differently, and they recognise players in a way that truly respects their contributions,” he said, commending the organization for its inclusive approach to recognising talent across various regions of the footballing world.

Ronaldo attended the gala with his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, and used the platform to voice his admiration for Vinícius while challenging the Ballon d’Or organisers, France Football magazine, to reevaluate their selection process.

Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo

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