With Lionel Messi having been crowned the 2023 FIFA Best Men's Footballer on Monday night, it has reportedly been revealed who Bafana Bafana duo Hugo Broos and Ronwen Williams voted for.
The Argentine icon narrowly pipped Manchester City's Erling Haaland to the award, as the two of them were tied with 48 votes each but the winner was decided via a voting tie-breaker, which looked at the votes cast by national men’s team captains.
The award didn't factor the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as it only recognised performances between 19 December, 2022 and 20 August 2023.
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Despite clinching a continental treble during this period, Haaland had to settle for second spot, while Paris Saint-Germain susperstar Kylian Mbappe was voted in third-place.
Along with Broos and Williams, journalist Robert Marawa was also allowed to vote.
The South Africa head coach selected Mbappe as his first choice, with his Belgian compatriot Kevin De Bruyne in second, and Haaland in third.
The Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper opted for Haaland in first, Messi second, and Spanish midfielder Rodri in third. Meanwhile, Marawa's picks were the Norwegian striker in first, Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in second, and the eight-tme Ballon d'Or winner in third.
It was the third time that Messi has won the prize and while his victory has caused a bit of a stir in some quarters, United States and AC Milan star Christian Pulisic showed nothing but praise after he was recently asked about the 36-year-old's impact in Major League Soccer after his first six months at Inter Miami.
Pulisic told The Athletic: "I can’t say it’s not expected. He (Lionel Messi) is, of course, the best to really ever do it. After having the (2022) World Cup he did and then obviously being back in MLS, it’s been fantastic for the league.
"The buzz around the league, around Miami whenever they play… it seems like a big televised game. Players like that are going to bring in fans, new fans to watch the league, and for me it’s only a positive thing."
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