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Lionel Messi made history by claiming the men's FIFA The Best award in 2023 but the Argentine's triumph didn't sit well with many, including ESPN pundit Janusz Michallik. The expert held nothing back as he lashed out at those who voted in favor of the Inter Miami superstar.
It goes without mentioning that the 2023 FIFA The Best award proved to be a bit controversial. After winning the previous edition of the accolade courtesy of his exploits in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Lionel Messi emerged victorious once again in 2023.
The controversy erupted from the fact that the 37-year-old trailed the other finalists Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in terms of numbers during the 2022-23 campaign.
Reacting to the development shortly after the winner was announced, Janusz Michallik hit out at the process and slammed everyone who cast their votes for Lionel Messi.
“I thought it was a little bit of a stretch last season, based on the entire year because he played such a vital role for Argentina, not just in winning it but obviously, his play alone uh we gave it to him. This year, I mean this is just crazy. I mean, I couldn’t believe it in a way and I think we’re used to this, right?” he said on ESPN.
“I didn’t lose any sleep over it but I’ll tell you what. Everyone that voted for Messi to win it should be barred from voting ever again, really because that’s just nonsense,” added the pundit.
It is worth noting that many notable figures cast their votes in favor of Lionel Messi to win the 2023 FIFA Player of the Year award. According to GOAL, the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe and Luka Modric all backed the former Barcelona captain to win the award.
Meanwhile, Messi backed Erling Haaland to come out on top in the race for the accolade, with Kylian Mbappe in the second spot and Julian Alvarez in the third spot.
Highlighting Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe's stats in 2022-23 season
During the 2022-23 campaign which was considered in the race for the FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year, Lionel Messi bagged 21 goals and 11 assists for PSG across all competitions, claiming both the Ligure 1 title and the French Super Cup. He later joined Inter Miami that summer where he won the Leagues Cup, contributing 10 goals and one assist.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe had a record of 41 goals and 10 assists in 43 appearances across all fronts. The Frenchman also won both the Ligure 1 title and the French Super Cup that year and was named the best player in the French league.
Erling Haaland, on the other hand, made history by leading Manchester City to a historic treble that season. He outscored everyone in Europe, topping the charts in the Premier Golden, the Champions League and across Europe's top five leagues.
The Norwegian managed 38 goals in 45 appearances across competitions while also providing five assists.
