The votes for Lionel Messi for The Best 2024 award are creating heated discussions, here are the details of the 34 people who voted for the Argentine superstar.
Lionel Messi continues to assert his appeal and influence on the international stage, even though he only ranked sixth in the race for FIFA’s The Best award in 2024. According to FIFA’s announcement, the Inter Miami player still received 34 votes in the number one position from many different representatives, including 13 national team captains, 18 coaches and 3 journalists around the world.
The 2024 Best Men’s Player award went to Vinícius Júnior, but Messi made a special impression by receiving recognition from votes from both familiar names and unexpected figures from smaller countries. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy) and Arturo Vidal (Chile), two of his former teammates at PSG and Barcelona, voted for Lionel Messi. In addition, captains from countries such as Bangladesh, Laos, Fiji and Tahiti also paid their respects to the Argentine superstar.
Of the 18 coaches who chose Messi as their best player, seven were from their native Argentina, showing the unwavering love and support for Messi, even though he is no longer the centre of European football as he once was.
Messi, although not achieving the highest title, is still a global icon and is loved by fans and experts around the world.
Details 35 votes for Messi.
3 journalists
- Emmanuel Kaba (Congo)
- Vaelei Von Dincklage (Samoa)
- Suahills Dende (São Tomé and Príncipe)
13 captains
- Germain Hughes (Anguilla)
- Sohel Rana (Bangladesh)
- Arturo Vidal (Chile)
- Roy Krishna (Fiji)
- Liam Walker (Gibraltar)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
- Bounphachan Bounkong (Laos)
- Sekhoane Benedict Moerane (Lesotho)
- Steve Borg (Malta)
- Andrew Stefano (Samoa)
- Javin Alick (Solomon Islands)
- Teaonui Tehau (Tahiti)
- Ali Abdi (Tunisia)
18 coaches
- Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
- Koji Gyotoku (Cambodia)
- Ricardo Gareca (Chile)
- Nestor Lorenzo (Colombia)
- Tuka Tisam (Cook Islands)
- Marcelo Neveleff (Dominican Republic)
- Sebastián Beccacece (Ecuador)
- Sherman Rob (Fiji)
- Yong Nam Sin (North Korea)
- Juan Antonio Pizzi (Kuwait)
- Pau Marti Vicente (Malaysia)
- Javier Aguirre (Mexico)
- Myo Hlaing Win (Myanmar)
- Augustine Owen Eguavoen (Nigeria)
- Kilifi Solia Uele (Tonga)
- Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay)
- Mauricio Pochettino (USA)
- Sang Sik Kim (Vietnam)
The 7 Argentine coaches include: Lionel Scaloni (Argentina), Ricardo Gareca (Chile), Néstor Lorenzo (Colombia), Sebastián Beccacece (Ecuador), Juan Antonio Pizzi (Kuwait), Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay), and Mauricio Pochettino (USA).
