Amid Lionel Messi’s Silence, Wife Antonela Roccuzzo Finally Reacts to His FIFA the Best Men’s Award Win

Lionel Messi continues to showcase that success is his middle name. Just hours ago, the Argentinian superstar was named the winner of the 2023 FIFA Best Men’s Player Award, once again outshining the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. While fans are still awaiting Messi’s acknowledgment of this latest achievement, his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, broke her silence on her husband’s triumph. 

After winning the award last year, Lionel Messi has successfully managed to defend it and add his 3rd title to the trophy cabinet. His wife congratulated him by reposting one of FIFA’s carousel posts on her Instagram story. She also added a caption that had a teary eye and three clapping emojis. This might be one of the first reactions from Messi’s household. On the other hand, the 36-year-old’s social media accounts look as parched as the Sahara! 

He has neither posted a story nor tweeted about his victory. He even failed to make an appearance in London, and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry received the award on the striker’s behalf. Reports suggest that his domestic commitments with Inter Miami forced the 8x Ballon d’Or winner to snub the invitation. But Lionel Messi wasn’t alone; as podium finishers Haaland and Mbappe also failed to make an appearance last night. 

Perhaps we might hear something from the Argentine World Cup winner after he receives The Best Award at his home. Meanwhile, let’s dive deeper to know more about the other winners of the night. 

Who were the other winners of FIFA The Best Awards, alongside Lionel Messi?

Speaking of other winners, FC Barcelona Femeni star Aitana Bonmati won FIFA The Best Women’s Player, piping Linda Caicedo and Jennifer Hermoso. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola outshone Luciano Spalletti and Simone Inzaghi for the Best Male Coach, with the Lionness manager Sarina Wiegman overtaking new USWNT coach Emma Hayes and Barcelona women’s coach Jonatan Giraldez. Botafogo’s Guilherme Madruga won the Puskas Award for scoring an outrageous bicycle kick from outside the penalty box. 

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For male goalkeepers, Ederson clinched first place, with Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois and Al Hilal star Yassine Bounou being the runner-ups. On the other hand, England’s Mary Earps won the female best goalkeeper award ahead of Blaugrana’s Catalina Coll and West Ham’s Mackenzie Arnold. Meanwhile, the Brazil national team won the Fair Play award for their efforts to fight racism. Finally, Hugo Miguel Iniguez, a Colon de Santa Fe supporter, earned recognition for the fan award by bottle-feeding his infant son during a club match in Argentina.

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