SUMMARY
- The FIFA Best Men's Player winner is Lionel Messi, who defeated Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to take home the title.
- Haaland and Mbappe were successful in their respective teams in the previous seasons, but the main topic of discussion is how other soccer stars and coaches reacted to Messi's award claim.
The FIFA Best Men’s Player winner is Lionel Messi, who defeated Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to take home the title. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner from Argentina is the reigning champion once again. Messi, the star of Inter Miami, has been voted the best performer in soccer on the planet even if he chose to forego competing at the elite level of the sport in 2023.
Haaland was a member of the Manchester City team that finished first in the FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League the previous year. Mbappe, meanwhile, won the Trophee des Champions and Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain in the previous season. The primary focus of this discussion, though, is how different soccer stars and coaches responded to Messi’s award claim.
😲 La reacción del Guardiola y del padre de Haaland cuando anuncian a Messi como ganador del #TheBest: ha sido una sorpresa mundial pic.twitter.com/rwtPqg0Haf
— MARCA (@marca) January 15, 2024
Following Lionel Messi’s achievement, social media was flooded with remarks of all types, some of which were supportive and others which weren’t. Indeed, there were shocked reactions on the same occasion. Pep Guardiola’s reaction went viral the most when he witnessed his current player Erling Haaland being denied an award by Lionel Messi yet again.
Not only that, Alfe-Inge, the father of Haaland, raised his eyebrows after Messi’s name was given, giving the impression that he was not pleased with the winner. It remains to be seen what happens next regarding the careers of these soccer stars and how they perform ahead.
Pep Guardiola opens up on the influence of Lionel Messi in his career
Pep Guardiola took over as manager of the Barcelona senior team for the first time in the summer of 2008. The Catalan strategist took charge of the first team setup after spending a year as the B squad’s coach. Few could have predicted at the moment the enormous heights to which Pep’s Barça would ascend during the ensuing four years.
Three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League medals, three Copa del Reys, three Spanish Super Cups, and numerous more honors were earned by the 51-year-old. Legends of the game like Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Carles Puyol gave Guardiola an incredible team to work with. However, Lionel Messi was one player who might have contributed the most to the Barcelona team’s triumph.
Pep Guardiola: 🎙️ “Xavi needs time… In Barcelona I didn’t need much time because I had Messi.” pic.twitter.com/XhSpgzDjtf
— LM🇦🇷⁸ (@Leo_messii_8) January 15, 2024
In an interview with Telemundo Deportes, Guardiola—who is currently Manchester City’s manager—discussed his time at Barcelona and the part that Messi played in that team’s history. The 51-year-old Messi responded to a question on his career with a single, straightforward word: “Everything.” “
After that, Guardiola compared himself to Phil Jackson, the coach of the storied Chicago Bulls basketball club that won championships with Jordan at the center. He also drew comparisons between Messi and the NBA icon Michael Jordan. He well and truly holds Messi as a very important player in his career and his respect and love for him justifies it.