Coach Roberto Martinez affirmed that Lionel Messi’s FIFA The Best 2023 title was a big mistake.

Coach Robert Martinez, who is currently working with Cristiano Ronaldo on the Portuguese national team, commented on the FIFA The Best 2023 election. This is the title that Lionel Messi controversially won:

‘That’s a mistake. Now the awards ceremony has a lot of votes, and at the same time, there are a lot of nominations. Besides, for the first time, the World Cup was held in the winter, and everything was turned upside down because it only took place for 6 months. For me, individual awards in football are extremely inadequate.’

The Portuguese team, represented by captain Pepe, chose Marcelo Brozovic and Bernardo Silva; Messi only ranked third. Coach Martinez also explained why the European Selecao made this choice.

‘I think individual players represent the team’s performance from club level to national team. What about Brozovic and Bernardo Silva and the players who have reached the Champions League finals and won domestic trophies? Brozovic is a player who represents the spirit of the Croatian national team. I think that’s not the only case because, when you see the votes, it all seems to be based on performances at the World Cup.’

Lionel Messi defeated Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the nomination for Outstanding Male Player at the FIFA The Best Awards. Haaland, despite having a wonderful 2023 with Man City, still regrets being behind Messi again after returning. runner-up in the Golden Ball race. In fact, when considering the criteria, what Messi can do in 2023 cannot be compared to the Norwegian player.

In particular, although Messi was crowned at the 2022 World Cup, the criteria for the FIFA The Best 2023 award is not based on performance at the tournament in Qatar. However, the award results completely depend on the votes of the captains, coaches and experts, so coverage criteria will almost play a huge role.