Was Messi really “The Best”?r
HARRISON, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 27: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina reacts in the second half against Jamaica at Red Bull Arena on September 27, 2022 in Harrison, New Jersey. Argentina defeated Jamaica 3-0. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi is FIFA World Player of the Year. But what did the Argentinean achieve during the election period? And how does his success compare to second-placed Erling Haaland?
Individual prizes in the team sport of football usually go to those who dominate the biggest competitions with their teams – and win. For the FIFA “The Best” ceremony, the period between December 19, 2022 and August 20, 2023 counted .
A span in which the newly crowned FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi won France’s Ligue 1 with PSG. He also won the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami, a cup competition between clubs in the Mexican League and the North American MLS. A trophy that requires an explanation.
The season of Erling Haaland, who only came second in the FIFA vote, needs no explanation. In his debut year in the Premier League, probably the best football league in the world, Haaland broke the goal record with 36 goals.
Haaland shot ManCity to the English double of the FA Cup and Premier League title. On the way to the first Champions League title in the club’s history, he scored twelve goals, four more than the second best scorer, Liverpool’s Mo Salah.
And eight goals more than Messi, whose four goals only came in the preliminary round – which, like the 2022 World Cup, does not fall within the selection period.
