Holland Claims IFFHS Player of the Year Title, Messi Finishes Third

 Holland Claims IFFHS Player of the Year Title, Messi Finishes Third

Lionel Messi won three awards from the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) (Image-Getty)

Lionel Messi won three awards from the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) — best player, best playmaker and best international goalscorer — after winning the World Cup last year. But this time Messi may have to return empty-handed.

Argentinian captain Messi came third in the final list of the best footballer of 2023 through the voting published yesterday by IFFHS. And his name is not in the list of top 10 goalscorers of the year published by IFFHS.

Arling Holland won the Player of the Year award ahead of Messi and Kylian Mbappe. The young Norwegian striker has won the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup this year for Manchester City. He has scored 50 goals in 60 matches so far this year.

IFFHS has been awarding the Footballer of the Year award since 1988. Holland became the first Norwegian and the first Manchester City player to receive this recognition.

Mbappe and Messi are not even close to Holland after the final vote. Holland got 208 points. Mbappe got 105 and Messi got 85 points. Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list of top scorers this year (53 goals) but is not even in the top 10 of the IFFHS Footballer of the Year.

But Messi may still have a chance to win the IFFHS award. The list of best playmaker and best international goalscorer is yet to be released by the organization.

No big news for Argentina. Brazil's Elleson was voted the best goalkeeper ahead of World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez. Ileson became the second Brazilian to win this award. In 2019, Liverpool's Alisson Becker became the first Brazilian to win the award.

Holland's Manchester City team-mate Ilesson has 145 points, Aston Villa's Martinez has 76 points. Thibaut Courtaya, who won the award last year, has become the third this time. Real Madrid's Belgian goalkeeper Courtois, however, had no chance of retaining the award. He has to spend the entire season out of the field due to a torn knee ligament.

Spain's World Cup-winning midfielder Aitana Bonmati has been named the IFFHS Women's Footballer of the Year. This year, this Barcelona footballer won the UEFA Women's Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or. Apart from this, England's Mary Earps became the best female goalkeeper of IFFHS.

The IFFHS bestows the Player of the Year award on the votes of football journalists and former footballers.