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#AlabaOut is reportedly trending on Twitter after Real Madrid defender David Alaba voted for Lionel Messi over Karim Benzema for 2022 FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year Award.
Los Blancos fans have not taken kindly to the Austria international voting for the Barcelona legend over one of their own. Lionel Messi played for Barca for 21 years before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer in 2021.
According to Ataque Futbolero (h/t @FootyAccums), Alaba's social media posts have been littered with racist comments from Madrid fans. Their fans have also boosted the '#AlabaOut' hashtag to the point where it is trending on Twitter.
Trending
The winners of these awards are voted by captains, coaches, and players from across the globe. Messi was adjudged the FIFA Best Men's Player on Monday (27 February) in Paris.
Messi ranked first on the voting list with 52 points, followed by PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe (44) and Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema (34). Alaba, being the captain of the Austrian national team, was accorded an official vote.
His first pick was Messi, followed by Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe. Alaba has since clarified on Twitter that the vote was made by the entire Austrian national team, and not just him alone.
The official voting list on FIFA's website mentions Alaba's name, which could give rise to confusion that the vote was solely his. Here are some of the reactions from enraged Madrid fans on Twitter after the Austrian national team's votes were made public:
Alaba is usually one of the first names on manager Carlo Ancelotti's teamsheets and has played in 29 games across competitions this term.
Lionel Messi thanks teammates after beating Real Madrid's Karim Benzema to the Best FIFA Men's Player award
Lionel Messi winning the World Cup would have certainly gone a long way in his bid to win the 2022 FIFA The Best Men's Player award.
It also helped that he beat Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema's France in the final on 18 December. He ended the tournament with seven goals and three assists in seven matches.
Mbappe scored eight times and the Golden Boot, while Benzema did not play a single minute in Qatar due to an injury. Thanking his Argentine teammates after winning the award, Lionel Messi said (h/t KeepUp.com):
"Wow, this is amazing. It's been a tremendous year and it's an honour to win this award. Without my team-mates, I wouldn't be here."
He added:
"I achieved the dream I had been hoping for so long. Very few people can achieve that and I have been lucky to do so. It's the most wonderful thing that's happened to me in my career."
Messi also won the Golden Ball award for his performances at the tournament, his second after the 2014 version.
