The FIFA The Best awards are some of the world’s most prestigious awards. With different categories, the awards are given to recognise the most notable individual performances in world football during the calendar year.
The 2023 edition of the awards was conducted on Monday, 27 February with Lionel Messi scooping the Best Men’s Player Award for his outstanding performances for his club and especially his country, Argentina, during the 2022 calendar year.
FIFA The Best awards and the Ballond’Or awards
Both awards have some differences, including how the voting process works. FIFA’s The Best awards accommodate voting from a number of different departments of the sport.
Brought together are a variety of people who decide the most outstanding players and coaches in the beautiful game of football.
A major difference in the voting process for both awards is that while the Ballon d’Or changed its voting period lately, to take in the European season from August to May, FIFA The Best awards are still awarded based on a calendar year.
ALSO READ: 2022 Ballond’Or: Benzema wins but controversies trail other categories
It is easy to understand if the Ballon d’Or sounds more familiar than the other award. This is because the Ballond’Or was first given as far back as 1956. Meanwhile, the FIFA The Best awards in their current form started giving awards in 2017.
Another important difference between both awards is the period in which they are handed out. The Ballon d’Or is usually awarded in October and also bases its winners on their performances across a single season.
In contrast, FIFA generally hold their award ceremony at the beginning of a calendar year. Winners are judged on their performances across the previous calendar year.
Who is/are eligible to vote for the awards?
These categories include individuals from the various FIFA member nations and are all given 25 per cent of the total vote to then determine who wins the awards in each category.
The fan vote is accessible on FIFA.com and each fan who creates an account is eligible to cast one vote for each category.
However, for the Ballond’Or, Journalists from around the world exclusively vote to decide the winner of the award. Basically, the media vote for the winner(s) of the award and it is given by the French publication, France Football.
Controversies as usual
Criticisms came the way of defender David Alaba after he did not vote for Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema. The Austrian was condemned for his choice of Lionel Messi instead for the Best Men’s Player of the year. Alaba has also faced racial abuse over the issue, but he has come out to clear the air.
The Austria national team captain said on social media: “Regarding FIFA The Best Award: The Austrian national team vote for this award as a team, not me alone.
Everyone knows, especially Karim, how much I admire him and his performances and I have often said that for me he is the best striker in the world.”
Messi was later confirmed as the winner of the prize in Paris ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Benzema.
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Players have been attacked overtime for having a preferred candidate, especially when the ignored player is a teammate of the voting player.
As widely known, most awards decided by the voting process will surely come with its arguments and contentions. This is the same with the awards dished out on Monday.
For the FIFPRO Men’s World 11, the inclusion of players like João Cancelo and Virgil van Dijk is highly questionable. Some will argue that there are players who merited inclusion in the XI than these two. But as always, what’s an award determined via a voting process without raising eyebrows?
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