FIFA recently announced the updated nominees for The Best awards in 2023, reflecting a mirror image of the 2023 Ballon d’Or battle. Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon d’Or at the close of 2023, beating Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the final tally.
These three outstanding footballers are the confirmed finalists for the men’s award at the upcoming FIFA The Best awards. Messi, who won the award in 2022, is hoping to win it again.
Date and Venue
The FIFA The Best 2023 awards ceremony is scheduled for January 15, 2024, in London. Full details regarding the specific location and time will be provided at the beginning of 2024.
Nominees for The Best Awards
Men’s Player
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami / Argentina)
- Kylian Mbappe (PSG / France)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City / Norway)
Women’s Player
- Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona / Spain)
- Jenni Hermoso (FC Pachuca / Spain)
- Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid/Deportivo Cali / Colombia)
Men’s Goalkeeper
- Yassine Bounou (Sevilla/Al Hilal / Morocco)
- Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid / Belgium)
- Ederson (Manchester City / Brazil)
Men’s Coach
- Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
- Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)
- Luciano Spalletti (Napoli/Italy)
Women’s Goalkeeper
- Mary Earps (Manchester United / England)
- Cata Coll (Barcelona / Spain)
- Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham United / Australia)
Women’s Coach
- Sarina Wiegman (England)
- Jonathan Giraldez (Barcelona)
- Emma Hayes (Chelsea)
FIFA Puskas Award
The FIFA Puskas Award, recognizing the best goal of the year, features three outstanding strikes:
- Julio Enciso (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Guilherme Madruga (Botafogo CF)
- Nuno Santos (Sporting Lisbon)
FIFA Fan Award
This award acknowledges fan gestures and displays of support, with the list curated by FIFA experts.
Former Winners
Below is a comprehensive list of former winners in the main categories since 2016 for both men and women:
The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award
| Year | Player | Club | Nation |
| 2022 | Lionel Messi | PSG | Argentina |
| 2021 | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | Poland |
| 2020 | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | Poland |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | Argentina |
| 2018 | Luka Modric | Real Madrid | Croatia |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | Portugal |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | Portugal |
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award
| Year | Player | Club | Nation |
| 2022 | Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa | Argentina |
| 2021 | Edouard Mendy | Chelsea | Senegal |
| 2020 | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | Germany |
| 2019 | Alisson | Liverpool | Brazil |
| 2018 | Thibaut Courtois | Chelsea/Real Madrid | Belgium |
| 2017 | Thibaut Courtois | Juventus | Italy |
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Award
| Year | Player | Club | Nation |
| Year | Lionel Scaloni | Argentina | Argentina |
| 2022 | Thomas Tuchel | Chelsea | Germany |
| 2021 | Jurgen Klopp | Liverpool | Germany |
| 2020 | Jurgen Klopp | Liverpool | Germany |
| 2019 | Didier Deschamps | France | France |
| 2018 | Zinedine Zidane | Real Madrid | France |
| 2017 | Claudio Ranieri | Leicester City | Italy |
The Best FIFA Women’s Player Award
| Year | Player | Club | Nation |
| 2022 | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2021 | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2020 | Lucy Bronze | Lyon/Man City | England |
| 2019 | Megan Rapinoe | Reign FC | USA |
| 2018 | Marta | Orlando Pride | Brazil |
| 2017 | Lieke Martens | Rosengard/Barcelona | Netherlands |
| 2016 | Carli Lloyd | Houston Dash | USA |
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Award
| Year | Player | Club | Nation |
| 2022 | Mary Earps | Manchester United | England |
| 2021 | Christiane Endler | PSG | Chile |
| 2020 | Sarah Bouhaddi | Lyon | France |
| 2019 | Sari van Veenendaal | Arsenal/Atletico Madrid | Netherlands |
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach Award
| Year | Player | Club | Nation |
| 2022 | Sarina Wiegman | England | Netherlands |
| 2021 | Emma Hayes | Chelsea | England |
| 2020 | Sarina Weigman | Netherlands | Netherlands |
| 2019 | Jill Ellis | England | USA |
| 2018 | Reynald Pedros | Lyon | France |
| 2017 | Sarina Weigman | Netherlands | Netherlands |
| 2016 | Silvia Neid | Germany | Germany |
FIFA Puskas Award – the prize for the best goal
| Year | Player | Team | Match/Goal |
| 2022 | Marcin Oleksy | Warta Poznan | vs. Stal Rzeszow |
| 2021 | Erik Lamela | Tottenham | vs. Arsenal (1-0) |
| 2020 | Son Heung-Min | Tottenham | vs. Burnley (3-0) |
| 2019 | Daniel Zsori | Debrecen | vs. Ferencvaros (2-1) |
| 2018 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | vs. Everton (1-0) |
| 2017 | Oliver Giroud | Arsenal | vs. Crystal Palace (1-0) |
| 2016 | Mohd Faiz Subri | Penang | vs. Pahang (4-1) |
| 2015 | Wendell Lira | Goianesia | vs. Atlético Goianiense (1-0) |
| 2014 | James Rodriguez | Colombia | vs. Uruguay (1-0) |
| 2013 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Sweden | vs. England (4-2) |
| 2012 | Miroslav Stoch | Fenerbahce | vs. Genclerbirligi (6-1) |
| 2011 | Neymar | Santos | vs. Flamengo (4-5) |
| 2010 | Hamit Altintop | Turkey | vs. Kazakhstan (2-0) |
| 2009 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Man United | vs. Porto (1-0) |
Football fans worldwide are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming awards ceremony.
They are excited to see who will be named The Best in different categories, which will recognize the exceptional players, coaches, and moments from the past year in football.