Real Madrid defender David Alaba has suffered racist abuse on his social media accounts after voting for Lionel Messi ahead of Karim Benzema in FIFA’s The Best awards.
The Argentine superstar was named as the best player in the world during a glittering ceremony in Paris on Monday evening after scooping the most votes from his peers. It is the second time in his career that he has claimed the award.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward pipped his club teammate Kylian Mbappe to the top prize – earning 52 points to the French striker’s 44 – with Real Madrid star Karim Benzema ranking in third spot, on 34 points. A breakdown of every captain who voted in the awards has emerged since Messi was recognised as the top men's player in world football, giving insight into how players selected their top choices for the year.
