Messi Shocks Football World by Overlooking Rising Star Yamal in FIFA's The Best Award Vote

Lionel Messi surprised many when it emerged that he placed Lamine Yamal only third in his world player rankings.

Given his status as a Barcelona legend who maintains strong ties to the club and city, most anticipated his votes for this year's The Best FIFA Football Awards would favor Blaugrana players. Ousmane Dembélé, who shared the pitch with Messi in 95 matches during their Camp Nou tenure, predictably led his personal list and claimed the official accolade.

The Paris Saint-Germain star dominated Tuesday's ceremony, earning deserved recognition for his most productive season yet as the French giants finally broke their Champions League title drought.

While Yamal finished runner-up in the official results, Messi selected Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé for his second choice. Setting aside traditional club rivalries, the Barcelona legend was evidently impressed by the record-setting inaugural season his former teammate delivered in Madrid.

Messi shared two campaigns with Mbappé at Paris Saint-Germain, notably outshining his then-teammate during the 2022 World Cup final. The Argentine captain later stirred debate by criticizing the lukewarm welcome he received in Paris following the Qatar tournament. "We maintained a standard relationship," Messi remarked.

Lionel Messi's Selections for 2025 The Best FIFA Football Awards

In his role as Argentina's captain, Messi held voting rights for all three men's categories presented by FIFA at The Best awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar. The Best Men's Player category wasn't alone in revealing Messi's impartial approach.

Best Men's Player

Best Men's Coach

Though Yamal secured only third place in Messi's assessment, his coach Hansi Flick climbed to second position after guiding Barcelona to a domestic treble. Similar to Dembélé, Messi chose a PSG figure with Catalonian connections: Luis Enrique.

The vocal manager's rapport with Messi during their Spanish collaboration faced challenges. During the 2014–15 campaign, Enrique made the bold decision to bench the club's record goalscorer, sparking widespread rumors that Messi had threatened to have his coach dismissed.

Any tensions were resolved as Barcelona went on to secure a European treble.

Best Men's Goalkeeper

Messi has publicly credited Emiliano Martínez and his penalty-saving prowess as crucial to Argentina's enhanced performance in international competitions. "The Beast," as Messi calls him, earned only second place, trailing his ex-PSG colleague Gianluigi Donnarumma, who won the official award.