The Best FIFA Football awards 2023 takes place tonight in London, with a total of nine different individual prizes up for grabs.
The award is decided by votes from coaches and captains of national teams, a journalist from each territory and fans on the official FIFA website.
They vote for their top three in the category and the individual with the most points comes out on top.
Players are known to vote tactically and go for their mates and that is definitely the case with Messi and Ronaldo, the two greatest players of all time.
At one stage the duo were able to vote for the Ballon d’Or, an award they have won 14 times between them.
Journalists now have the final say with the gong but Messi and Ronaldo did not have one another in their shortlist during the the time when the France Football accolade was merged with FIFA.
Messi finally voted for Ronaldo, placing him in his top three in 2018 and 2019.
Ronaldo would returned the favour a year on, putting Messi second in his top three for ‘The Best’, which was won by Robert Lewandowski.
Much to Lewandowski’s frustration, there was no Ballon d’Or that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although both have spoken about the mutual respect, neither Messi and Ronaldo have ever picked the other in first place and it’s unlikely to ever happen.
Lionel Messi awards voting
Ballon d’Or:
2010: Didn’t vote
2011: Xavi, Iniesta, Aguero
2012: Iniesta, Xavi, Aguero
2013: Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar
2014: Di Maria, Iniesta, Mascherano
2015: Suarez, Neymar, Iniesta
FIFA ‘The Best’:
2016: Suarez, Neymar, Iniesta
2017: Suarez, Iniesta, Neymar
2018: Modric, Mbappe, Ronaldo
2019: Mane, Ronaldo, De Jong
2020: Neymar, Mbappe, Lewandowski
2021: Neymar, Mbappe, Benzema
2022: Neymar, Mbappe, Benzema
Cristiano Ronaldo awards voting
Ballon d’Or:
2010: Xavi, Casillas, Sneijder
2011: Did not vote
2012: Did not vote
2013: Falcao, Bale, Ozil
2014: Ramos, Bale, Benzema
2015: Benzema, James Rodriguez, Bale
FIFA’s ‘The Best’:
2016: Bale, Modric, Ramos
2017: Modric, Ramos, Marcelo
2018: Varane, Modric, Griezmann
2019: De Ligt, De Jong, Mbappe
2020: Lewandowski, Messi, Mbappe
2021: Lewandowski, Kante, Jorginho
2022: Did not vote
