Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi has emerged the Best Men’s Player at the just ended Best Fifa Football Awards in Milan after beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil Van Dijk to win the title.
This is Messi’s first time of winning this winning since the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award category was introduced by FIFA in 2016.
Messi’s victory came as a surprise as football experts and followers tipped Virgil Van Dijk to clutch the title because of his incredible performance last season for helping Liverpool to win the Champions League and also reaching the UEFA Nation’s League final.
However, the 32-year-old Argentine helped Barcelona win La Liga and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Lionel Messi scored 54 goals in 58 games for his club and country last season as compared to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 31 goals in 47 appearances.
ABC News can also report that Lionel Messi voted for Cristiano Ronaldo to receive the Men’s Player Award but the Argentine was absent from Ronaldo’s ballot paper.
Megan Rapinoe also won the women’s player award ahead of fellow American Alex Morgan and England’s Lucy Bronze at the Best Fifa Football Awards in Milan.
source: ABCNewsgh.com