Kylian Mbappe’s decision to vote Lionel Messi as his top pick in the FIFA voting has been applauded by fans. This vote contributed significantly to Messi’s victory in the race for The Best award, where he is a direct rival to Mbappe. Traditionally, top footballers like Ronaldo and Messi have acknowledged each other in their votes when they were team captains of their respective countries.
Joining Mbappe in supporting Messi were Luka Modric and Federico Valverde, both of Real Madrid, and national team captains. They, along with captains from various countries including Egypt, England, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, Slovenia, Italy, Colombia, and Switzerland, chose Messi as their top choice.
This collective support enabled Messi to edge out Erling Haaland and win The Best award for the second year in a row. Although Messi and Haaland were tied in overall points, Messi secured the award due to having more first-place votes from national team captains, surpassing Haaland by 43 votes.
Despite Haaland’s outstanding performance with Manchester City and being a strong candidate for the award, Messi ultimately triumphed. Haaland, who also missed out on the France Football Ballon d’Or to Messi, had to settle for second place once again.