Lionel Messi gets surprise nomination for Best FIFA Men’s Player 2024 award

Picture Credit: X

On Friday, November 29, FIFA World Cup revealed the list of nominations for the prestigious Best FIFA Men’s Player 2024 award. In a surprising turn, one of the greats of the game, Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2022 winning captain, Lionel Messi also found himself in the list, along with the likes of Tony Kroos, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, among others.

Although, Messi’s name carries unmatched weight in the football world, but his nomination for the Best FIFA Men’s Player 2024 award has sparked massive outrage on social media. Messi, 37, has a loyal fanbase, but this has raised questions on whether he had a great performance in 2024 and is truly warrant of this recognition.

Fans question Lionel Messi’s nomination for Best FIFA Men’s Player award

It is to be noted that the 37-year-old features in Major League Soccer (MLS), whereas the other nominees, including the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and others compete in Europe’s top leagues. Although, Messi was a prominent name in the list, it did not feature Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr.

Taking to social media, while several fans questioned Messi’s inclusion, a few others claimed that Ronaldo should also feature if Messi can despite playing in MLS.

Check how fans reacted on Messi’s surprise inclusion:

It is to be noted that Messi scored a total of 30 goals this year (for club and country) in 38 games. He also has 19 assists to his name this year. Moreover, Messi’s significant achievement this year came in form of Argentina’s Copa America 2024 win.