The year 2024 will be remembered as a bittersweet one for Lionel Messi. While he celebrated a major achievement with the Argentina national team—his second Copa America, albeit in a secondary role—his time with Inter Miami brought mixed results. Though he helped the team win the Supporters’ Shield, he and the club fell short in the MLS Playoffs. These inconsistent performances impacted Messi’s chances at soccer’s most prestigious honors, as he was overtaken by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham in one of the award categories.
Recently, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) announced the winners of its annual awards. Messi was nominated for the world’s best playmaker award, a title he had claimed five times previously. However, this year he came in fifth place, unable to secure the trophy.
Bellingham, with 133 points, won the playmaker award for the first time, thanks to his stellar performances with both Real Madrid and the English national team. Kevin De Bruyne (96 points) finished second, while Toni Kroos (78 points) rounded out the podium. Jamal Musiala (54 points) narrowly edged out Messi by just one point.
The IFFHS also selected the best player of the year, a title that was heavily contested between Manchester City’s Rodri and Real Madrid‘s Vinicius Junior. While the Brazilian winger triumphed at FIFA’s The Best awards, Rodri claimed the Ballon d’Or and now the IFFHS player of the year award.
In the coaching categories, there were fewer surprises. Carlo Ancelotti was named best club coach following his remarkable year with Real Madrid, while Spain’s Luis De La Fuente defeated Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni to take the international coach of the year award.
Jude Bellingham of England celebrates scoring his team’s first goal to equalise during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between England and Greece at Wembley Stadium on October 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The ideal XI of 2024, according to IFFHS
The IFFHS also revealed their ideal XI for 2024, featuring Emiliano Martinez as goalkeeper. The defensive line included Dani Carvajal, Ruben Dias, Antonio Rudiger, and Alphonso Davies. In midfield, the chosen players were Toni Kroos, Rodri, and Jude Bellingham, while the attacking trio consisted of Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Junior.
Another frustration for Messi
Although Messi has often stressed that collective titles mean more to him than individual accolades, he may have felt some frustration with his lack of recognition during this year’s awards season.
see also
Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Premier League star Cole Palmer picks the best player of all time
The Inter Miami forward likely experienced one of his most disappointing seasons in terms of individual honors since reaching the peak of world soccer. He finished sixth in the FIFA The Best awards, far behind the winner, Vinicius. Additionally, Lionel didn’t even make the final 30 for the Ballon d’Or. These results underscore the inevitable passage of time and signal the gradual end of Messi’s two-decade-long dominance in world soccer.
