Lionel Messi's Three Picks for FIFA Best Player of the Year Have Emerged

• Lionel Messi's top three votes for FIFA Best Player of the Year have emerged after Vinicius Junior won the prestigious award
• As the captain of Argentina's senior national team, he had the honour of casting his vote for Best Men's Player in the world
• Vinicius beat off competition from Rodri to become the first Brazilian to have won the coveted prize since Ricardo Kaka in 2007

Lionel Messi's selections for the FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year have been disclosed following Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr's triumph as the award's winner.

The 2024 Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony occurred on Tuesday evening in Doha, Qatar.

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho claimed the 2024 FIFA Puskas Award for his breathtaking overhead kick against Everton, which was voted the goal of the year.

Following the announcement of Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Jr. as the Best Men's Player of the Year, it was revealed that Argentina captain Messi did not pick the Brazilian star first.

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"Keep flying & dancing": What Real icon told Vinicius after FIFA The Best glory

How does FIFA The Best voting work

Per FIFA, the winners were decided based on voters' top three choices across categories: Best Men's Player, Best Men's Goalkeeper, and Best Men's Coach.

First-place votes earned five points, second-place votes were awarded three points, and third-place votes received one point.

The voting group included national team head coaches, captains, select media representatives, and, for specific awards, input from fans.

Who did Lionel Messi vote for?

Argentina captain Messi had the honour of casting his vote for Best Men's Player in the world, and his top pick was Barcelona's rising star Lamine Yamal.

This proves his loyalty to his former club, as he selected the best player from Camp Nou in 2024 rather than a Real Madrid rival.

In the second place, Messi opted for his former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, placing eventual winner Vinicius Jr third on his ballot.

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“It was looking impossible": Vinicius opens up after winning FIFA The Best Award

Reactions to the news:

Here are some of the responses from netizens.

@EvansKE24:

"Lionel Messi baptist Lamine Yamal himself."

@Emperorpapillo:

"Yes the Barca sentiment."

@josheywayne:

"Messi is being emotional and not realistic, Yamal for real? I’m really disappointed in Messi."

@Rionex_:

"True legacy of Barcelona, passing the torch to the next prodigy!"

@FAISALABBA60871:

"That’s because he hasn’t face Saliba yet."

Meanwhile, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was honoured as Goalkeeper of the Year, and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti took home the award for Coach of the Year.

Vinicius reflects on journey to FIFA The Best success

Elsewhere, Briefly News reported that Vinicius reflected deeply on his journey from modest beginnings to worldwide fame.

The Real Madrid star expressed heartfelt gratitude, acknowledging those who played pivotal roles in his ascent to the pinnacle of football.

Source: YEN.com.gh