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The 2023 FIFA Best Men's Player Award nominees are officially out, with Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland leading the pack and Cristiano Ronaldo notably missing out.
A total of 12 players have been finalized for the prestigious accolade by the global governing body of football, with multiple noteworthy absentees.
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Having collaborated with the Ballon d'Or title, FIFA announced that they would be parting ways with France Football in 2016, restructuring their award as FIFA Best Men's Player award.
They reinstated the FIFA World Player of the Year award under a new name, continuing their tradition of celebrating the best player in a year, which previously ran from 1991 to 2009.
Despite his domination in individual title ceremonies, Cristiano Ronaldo has been absent from the podium since 2021. The Portuguese superstar once again missed out on a nod from FIFA for the second consecutive time following an underwhelming half-season with Manchester United.
At the time of writing, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are leading the way to win the elusive prize. The Argentinian maestro had a stellar 2022, finally getting his hands on the FIFA World Cup while also winning the Golden Ball at the tournament.
Lionel Messi also had an impressive campaign on the club level, racking up 41 goals and assists with Paris Saint-Germain. The forward is currently making waves in the United States, having already scored 11 goals and provided five assists with Inter Miami.
Erling Haaland, on the other hand, broke all kinds of records in his maiden campaign with Manchester City, leading them to the continental treble.
The Norwegian prodigy grabbed 52 goals across all competitions with the Cityzens, including a 36-goal record-breaking campaign in the Premier League. Haaland is widely considered to be the biggest competitor to Lionel Messi in his quest to nab a record-third FIFA Best Men's Player title.
Other notable nominees include World Cup winner Julian Alvarez, Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Kylian Mbappe, among others.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the FIFA Best Men's Player award for a record two times
After its re-institution in 2016, only three players have managed to nab the FIFA Best Men's Player Award on more than one occasion.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the accolade in its initial edition before successfully defending his title in 2017. The Portugal legend followed it up with three consecutive podium finishes before his omission. Following a seventh-place finish in 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to appear on the nomination list again.
Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi are the only other players to have won the prize twice.
