Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi was absent Monday night when he won his third and final FIFA “FIFA Men’s Player of the Year” award.
Perhaps the Argentine star had other arrangements, but one would think he would do it if he could just to celebrate the end of his era. Among those who voted for the award were club captains, national team coaches, “expert” journalists and enthusiasts from around the world.
Presumably, none of them thought to read the qualification criteria for this distinction. The prize will be awarded to the player who has performed the most productive between December 19, 2022 and August 20, 2023.
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Messi’s heroics in THAT World Cup final came a day prior, on December 18, but this did not stop the panel from tying the Ligue 1 and Leagues Cup champion with a Treble winner. While the Ballon d’Or came as a surprise, this latest miscarriage of justice offered hope.
This time next year, the voting panel will struggle to get Messi to participate in the rite as more than just an end. The 36-year-old will begin his first full season in MLS and without a World Cup, we believe. After all, you’ll see your absolute dominance at the end of awards season.
Starting with the Ballon d’Or, a new era of footballers will emerge with Erling Haaland at the helm. Kylian Mbappé, third, would possibly have left PSG through the next great rite and will be ready to create his own history while Jude Bellingham It is already difficult to forget him at Real Madrid.
Messi signifies the final pillar of the old guard and if his era had ended when he left Barcelona in 2021, it would have been a lot more poignant than it is today. But instead, many fans are more than ready to see what the next generation can prove on the world stage.
For Haaland, however, it is a shame to have to wait at least a few more months for his coronation.
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