Argentine superstar Lionel Andre Messi has won ‘The Best FIFA Football Award’ twice. Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski won the award twice each before Messi. Meanwhile, Messi is the only player in history to win the FIFA Best Player Award seven times. Messi is also on the list of Balandi Or winners seven times. However, there is no presence of FIFA in two of these. What is the truth of this confusing ‘information’? To understand that, one should know the history of the Ballon d’Or given by France Football Magazine since 1956 and the ‘FIFA Player of the Year’ given by FIFA since 1991.
The Ballon d’Or was formerly known as the European Footballer’s Award. Even when Pele and Maradona shone as legends on the field, only Europeans were eligible for the Ballon d’Or. As a result, the criteria for awarding awards prepared in the spirit of white racial supremacy. Until 1995, only those born and playing in Europe were eligible for the Ballon d’Or. George Weah, a Liberian who played in the Italian league, became the first non-European to win the award since 1995, when it was decided that players of any nationality playing in Europe could be considered.
Since 1991, the ‘FIFA Player of the Year’ award has been determined through an extensive voting process. The two awards, which ran parallel until 2009, were made into a single award named ‘FIFA Ballon d’Or’ from 2010 to 2015 as per an agreement between the two parties. In 2016, it was decided to give two again. Since 2016, the name of the award given by FIFA has been changed to ‘The Best FIFA Football Award’.
Messi won ‘FIFA Player of the Year’ in 2009, ‘FIFA Ballon d’Or’ in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 and ‘The Best FIFA Football Award’ in 2019 and 2023. Messi has won the FIFA Player of the Year award seven times in 14 years. Messi’s position was with Brazilian female player Marta, who has been selected as the best player six times so far. The Argentine superstar has surpassed Martha by winning the FIFA The Best award for the second time.