The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023: Odds, shortlists, favourites and past winners

The nominees for FIFA’s The Best Football Awards have been announced.

We’ve recently had the shortlists for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, but voting is now underway for The Best. Weirdly, this is the second The Best awards of the year, with the 2022 edition held as late as February.

Then, Lionel Messi picked up the Men’s crown after claiming the World Cup with Argentina, finishing ahead of French pair Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. For the Women’s award, Alexia Putellas was crowned The Best for the second year in a row, beating Alex Morgan and Beth Mead.

Read on for more information on the 2023 The Best FIFA Football awards, including shortlists, odds and previous winners.

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What are the FIFA Best Awards and how are they decided?

As far as individual awards go, there are two that will be used to highlight how good a player is or was — the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA Best. While The Best awards do have the backing of football’s governing body, they do still pale in comparison to the history and legacy of the Ballon d’Or which was first awarded in 1956 and is run by France Football.

FIFA had their first foray into the awards show with the FIFA World Player of the Year, first handed out in 1991. FIFA’s World Player of the Year was then merged with the Ballon d’Or between 2010 and 2015, and the conclusion of that partnership brought the birth of The Best.

Voting for the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA Best awards are fairly similar, with journalists, national team coaches and captains all given votes. However, voting for the FIFA Best awards also gives fans a voice, as one of the “four pillars of the footballing world”.

Votes from fans, journalists, national team coaches and captains are all given similar weight, counting 25% each. Voting ends on midnight CET on Friday 6, October, with the final three being announced closer to the final show.

However, the criteria for the Men’s and Women’s awards are not the same. For the Men’s award, achievements during the period from 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023 are will considered. That means no World Cup to help Messi win what would been a third The Best award — more than any other player. It also means Erling Haaland has another trophy to aid his cause, scooping the UEFA Super Cup — to go with his Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League — on 16 August 2023.

It’s funny that the World Cup isn’t taken into account, when FIFA are displaying the quote from Messi at his 2022 FIFA The Best win, saying: “This year was crazy for me. I was able to achieve my dream after so much fighting, so much searching, so much insisting.

“It’s the most beautiful thing that has happened to me in my career.”

With no World Cup in consideration, there was actually some confusion from fans on social media as to Messi’s inclusion, as well as Argentina team-mate Julian Alvarez.

Fifa men's player of the year but doesn't include fifa world cup? Isn't that just ridiculous? 🤡🤡

— GentleMan🛐 (@statmansam_7p) September 14, 2023

How is Alvarez and Messi here without the world cup??

— Skyyy💫 (@AJ_Skyface) September 14, 2023

If it doesn't include the world cup what's messi doing on the list?…. (love him but alvarez too)

— Low-key guy (@chief_uk6) September 14, 2023

To add to the confusion and contradiction, the Women’s award considers from 1 August 2022 to 20 August 2023. So not only do their players get the whole of their 2022/23 season considered, but they also have the Women’s World Cup, which ended on 20 August.

The Best FIFA Men’s Award: Latest Odds

The Best FIFA Women’s Award

The Best FIFA Men’s Coaches Award

The Best FIFA Women’s Coaches Award

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Award

Who are the previous FIFA Best Men’s Award winners?

Since the inaugural award in 2016, four players have been named The Best FIFA Men’s player. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first and second recipient of the award, winning it in 2016 for his role in Real Madrid’s Champions League victory and Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph — and once again in 2017 as Los Blancos retained the European Cup.

In 2018, the World Cup had a major influence on the award with Luka Modric winning it for his part in helping Croatia reach the World Cup final alongside Real Madrid’s Champions League win, while Lionel Messi scooped the honour in 2019. A year later Robert Lewandowski was named as The Best for his phenomenal season with Bayern Munich in which they won the Treble, retaining his crown in 2021. Messi then got his second last year, reward for winning the World Cup.

Who are the previous FIFA Best Women’s Award winners?

Unlike the Men’s award, The Best Women’s Player was shared out for the majority of its time. USWNT forward Carli Lloyd scooped the first award in 2016, with Lieke Martens winning a year later thanks to her part in Netherlands winning the European Championships before Brazilian legend Marta took the crown in 2018. Megan Rapinoe made all the headlines in 2019 and was named The Best Women’s player as part of the USWNT’s World Cup winning squad. Lucy Bronze took the crown in 2021 after, winning the Champions League with Lyon in a stellar 2020 before moving to Manchester City. But the holder is Alexia Putellas, who has dominated the individual accolades recently, winning in 2021 and 2022. There will be another new name on the list though, with Putellas spending most of the 2022/23 season injured.

Who are the previous FIFA Best Men’s Coach Award winners?

Winning the Premier League, Champions League or World Cup has been the criteria for the Best Men’s Coach so far, though Claudio Ranieri picked up the inaugural award more for the miracles he worked at Leicester than the trophy won. In 2017, Zinedine Zidane was named as the Best Men’s Coach for guiding Real Madrid to the Champions League and he was only bettered in 2018 by World Cup winner Didier Deschamps. Jurgen Klopp then went back-to-back, winning in both 2019 and 2020 for victories in the Premier League and Champions League respectively. Another German won the following year, with Thomas Tuchel scooping the award as he won the Champions League with Chelsea. But it returned to a World Cup winner in 2022, with Lionel Scaloni taking it after leading Argentina to glory.

Who are the previous FIFA Best Women’s Coach Award winners?

Sarina Wiegman made history in 2022, becoming the first person to win The Best Coach (Men’s or Women’s) three times. But Germany manager Silvia Neid was named the inaugural Best Women’s Coach for making Die Nationalelf one of the best teams in the world before Wiegman got her first title as Netherlands won Euro 2017. A year later Reynald Pedros was honoured for his role in Lyon’s European dynasty and Jill Ellis took the crown in 2019 for winning the World Cup. Wiegman got her second award in 2020 for the work she did with the Netherlands in a quiet year for women’s football, before Emma Hayes won in 2021. The title was back in Wiegman’s hand after she led England to glory at Euro 2022, their first ever major title.

When is The Best FIFA Awards and where can I watch the ceremony?

The date for The Best FIFA Awards is yet to be confirmed.