Statistics have indicated who among nominees Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland should receive FIFA’s Best Men’s Player of the Year title for their 2023 performances.

The three stars have been in a fierce fight as the year comes to a close and awards are handed out, with Messi edging out his two competitors to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Haaland finished second in the famous international competition, while Mbappe, who played Messi in the World Cup final last December, finished third. 

The world-class triumvirate was chosen from a 12-man shortlist that featured Premier League stars such as Declan Rice, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva.

Messi’s epic World Cup final performance will not be considered because the award period extends from December 19, 2022 to August 20, 2023.

Lionel Messi is trying to win back-to-back FIFA World Cups after winning the Ballon d’Or. The Best honors

Messi will have to overcome opponents such as Manchester City’s standout scorer Erling Haaland (center). 

Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain is the third finalist for the prestigious honor.

The Inter Miami player, who won the accolade last year in February 2023, will instead hope that his performances with his current club, particularly their League Cup victory this summer, will be enough to boost his chances of winning back-to-back medals. 

However, statistics show that based on their 2023 club form, there may be a landslide champion waiting in the wings.

If the battle is assessed just on goalscoring skill, Haaland would be the clear winner, according to his 44-goal haul and 11 additional contributions. 

While Messi can match the player in terms of goal contributions, the playmaker has only 20 goals, which is less than both the Norwegian international’s and Mbappe’s total of 39. 

As expected, Haaland’s estimated goal total is 44.7, compared to Mbappe’s 35.2 and Messi’s very pitiful 15.9. 

Haaland, on the other hand, has played 54 games in the last year, compared to 42 for the France captain and 36 for Messi. 

While Haaland dominates the most of the metrics, Mbappe and Messi both have higher accuracy and an assassin’s eye for converting chances. 

Messi has a 34.9 percent shot conversion percentage compared to Haaland’s 23.5%, while his passing accuracy is 82.7 percent compared to 72.5 percent for his opponent. 

Mbappe, on the other hand, has the highest proportion by a narrow margin, at 83.8 percent. 

However, the Frenchman falls short of Messi in terms of successful passes, having made 1259 to Messi’s 1558. 

Haaland’s 479 during the same time span comes nowhere near. 

After winning the Ballon d’Or and gaining a FIFA nomination, Messi will try to add to his trophy cabinet this year at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards.

Messi has made a strong start to his career at Inter Miami, helping the club climb the standings.