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David Alaba is facing the wrath of Real Madrid fans for voting for Lionel Messi ahead of Los Blancos teammate Karim Benzema at The Best FIFA Football Awards.
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 ceremony was held in Paris on Monday (February 27). Messi was announced as the best men's player ahead of Benzema and Kylian Mbappe during the event.
The Argentinian icon came first after garnering a total of 52 votes, eight more than Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate Mbappe, who finished second. Benzema came last among the three finalists with 34 points.
It is worth noting that the votes for The Best FIFA Men's Player Award are mainly decided by national team coaches, national team captains, and media representatives. Each voter can pick three players, with the candidates receiving five, three, or one point(s) based on their position in the said individual's list.
As the captain of the Austrian national team, Alaba was among those who voted for the award. Real Madrid fans were left shocked after his picks for The Best FIFA Men's Player were revealed.
The defender notably named Lionel Messi first on his list, with club teammate Karim Benzema coming second. Meanwhile, PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe was his third pick.
It is safe to say that Alaba's decision to pick Messi ahead of Benzema has not gone down well among the Los Blancos faithful. He is already the subject of abuse on social media. One supporter wrote commented on his Instagram account:
"Get out of my club now."
Another fan wrote:
"Messi first? Leave Madrid."
It now remains to be seen how Alaba will react to the abuse thrown at him for voting for the former Barcelona superstar ahead of Benzema. It is also unclear whether the Frenchman will be upset with his club teammate.
Luka Modric voted for Karim Benzema ahead of Lionel Messi
Luka Modric is another Los Blancos superstar who had voting rights at The Best FIFA Awards. The Croatia captain named Karim Benzema as his top pick, with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe coming second and third, respectively.
Meanwhile, both Modric and Benzema made it to Portugal captain Pepe's list. However, Mbappe was the former Real Madrid defender's top pick.
Benzema was undoubtedly a strong contender for the award after helping his club win the UEFA Champions League and La Liga last season. Messi's FIFA World Cup triumph with Argentina in December, though, seemingly tipped the scales in his favor.
