Real Madrid’s David Alaba Faces Abuse for Voting Lionel Messi in FIFA Best Awards
David Alaba, the Austrian captain and Real Madrid player, has received horrific abuse on social media after he voted for Lionel Messi over his teammate Karim Benzema at the 2022 FIFA Best awards.
The breakdown of every captain who voted in the Best FIFA Men’s Player 2022 award has emerged since Messi won the award on Monday night.
Alaba’s vote caused the most uproar as he chose Messi ahead of Benzema, causing the hashtag #AlabaOut to trend on social media. Alaba’s voting order had Messi in first place, Benzema in second, and Kylian Mbappe in third. He was criticized heavily on his Twitter and Instagram accounts and was called out for his decision.
Alaba’s Defense
David Alaba responded to the criticism on Tuesday morning through a statement where he explained that the Austrian national team votes as a team, not as individuals. He stated that everyone in the team council is able to vote and that’s how it’s decided.
He went on to explain that everyone knows how much he admires Benzema’s performances and that he often says that for him, Benzema is the best striker in the world.
Alaba’s vote would not have changed the outcome of the winner, as Messi was the runaway winner with 52 points. PSG’s Kylian Mbappe was in second place with 44 points, and Benzema was placed third with 32 points. Messi won his second FIFA Men’s Player award, and he was present in Paris to collect it. Messi had an exceptional year that included winning the World Cup with Argentina.
Messi’s Win
Messi expressed his delight and gratitude for winning the award, saying, “It’s amazing. It’s an honour for me to be here tonight and win this award. Without my team-mates, I wouldn’t be here.
It was an amazing year, and I achieved the dream that I’ve been hoping for so long, and finally, I managed to achieve it. It [the World Cup] is the most wonderful thing that’s happened to me in my career.”
The FIFA Best awards often generate a lot of controversy and debate over the players who win or the votes that they receive. In this case, David Alaba’s vote caused quite a stir among football fans, and he faced significant backlash on social media. However, Alaba defended his decision, and ultimately, Messi won the award with a comfortable margin.
