Thiago Silva’s 3 votes for FIFA The Best men’s player award revealed as he snubs Lionel Messi for top spot

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva snubbed Lionel Messi for the top spot while putting in his votes for FIFA The Best men's player award.

The veteran centre-back voted for Neymar as his top choice, with Messi in second place and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema taking the third spot.

Messi was the eventual winner of the award, winning the accolade for only the second time after his first victory in 2009.

Messi has had a fantastic second half in 2022 for club and country. He has provided 33 goals and assists for PSG along with helping Argentina win the World Cup in December.

Messi came first in the final rankings, with Kylian Mbappe grabbing the second spot and Karim Benzema finishing third on the list.

Lionel Messi's reaction after winning FIFA The Best men's player award

Lionel Messi was a happy man after winning yet another honor in his decorated career.

"It's amazing," Messi said at the ceremony, per the BBC.

"It's been a tremendous year, and it's an honor for me to be here and win this award. Without my teammates I wouldn't be here.

"I achieved the dream I had been hoping for for so long," Messi continued, referring to December's World Cup title. "Very few people can achieve that, and I have been lucky to do so."

Messi set to win more titles come the end of the season

Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are doing really well in the domestic league. They currently lead the table with 60 points after 25 games and are eight ahead of second-placed Marseille.

The Parisian giants are struggling in Europe where they lost 1-0 against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Round of 16 Champions League tie. However, they can still mount a comeback in the second leg and compete for European glory this season.