Interpreting FIFA's Player of the Year: Messi wins back-to-back? Haaland wins for the first time? Mr. Mu counterattack?
FIFA has announced a shortlist of 12 players for the best players of 2023, so let's take a look at it to see who has a better chance of winning.
Prize Rules
Unlike the Ballon d'Or, this year's FIFA Player of the Year is selected from December 19, 2022 to August 20, 2023, after last year's World Cup, so World Cup results and performance are not considered.
The selection criteria are the player's "athletic performance and behavior on and off the field." FIFA emphasizes that each nominee has been recognized for continued excellence during this time. In other words, individual performance and team performance are factors that need to be examined.
The 12-man shortlist is as follows: Kylian Mbappe, Messi, Haaland, Alvarez, Brozovic, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Rodri, Kvarac Helia, Osmayne, Rice, B seat. Like the Ballon d'Or and UEFA Player of the Year, Messi, Haaland and Mbappe are considered favourites.
Data Honor Comparison (December 19 - August 20)
Messi: 24 goals and 7 assists, Ligue 1 champion, CONCACAF champion, Ligue 1 assist king, CONCACAF Golden Boot
Haaland: 30 goals and 7 assists, four Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Premier League Golden Boot, Champions League Golden Boot, European Golden Boot
Kylian Mbappe: 27 goals and 5 assists, Ligue 1 title, Ligue 1 Golden Boot
Can Messi win back?
Messi was last year's FIFA Player of the Year, based on his outstanding performances at the World Cup in Qatar and the first time in his career to lift the Hercules Cup. However, this year's FIFA best does not include the World Cup, so his biggest advantage has been lost.
In the time frame of the award, Messi's results in Paris are not good, although he won the Ligue 1 title, but the Champions League stopped in the round of 16, which can be said to be the biggest disadvantage and one of the biggest obstacles to his succession.
At the end of last season, Messi left Europe to play in the United States. If it's a Golden Globe selection, that's one of the obstacles he faces. However, after coming to Internacional Miami, he often had performances that shook the world football scene, and his influence did not decline but increased, and he also won the first championship in the team's history.
Considering that the FIFA vote consists of four parts, including the manager and captain of the national team, as well as journalists and fans around the world, Messi's status and influence may be of great help to him.
Haaland has an even greater advantage
Of course, realistically speaking, Haaland is more likely to win his first prize than Messi. Because FIFA's best time of the year avoided the World Cup he missed, and instead catered to the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles he won at the end of last season, plus the European Super Cup he won in August this year, so it is a quadruple of the Treble.
Not only did Haaland score the most titles and the Golden Boot, but Haaland scored the most goals and assists as Messi in this time period, especially the Champions League winner vs the last 16 of the Champions League.
Haaland's disadvantage is that he did not score in the Premier League sprint stage and the final of three competitions, but UEFA's best proof did not affect him as much. Another point is that teammate De Bruyne "splits" his vote, but given the complexity of voting sources, Haaland, who plays as a striker and scores more goals, will be preferred.
Mbappe is afraid of nothing
Of the three, Mbappe has the biggest disadvantage. His main performance last season was at the World Cup, winning the Golden Boot and scoring a hat-trick in the final, but this year's FIFA selection has not seen the World Cup.
In the time frame of the award, there is only one Ligue 1 championship and a Ligue 1 golden boot, the Champions League stops in the round of 16, and the number of goals and assists is not the most, so it is basically missing this award, and it is already good to enter the top three.