Lionel Messi voted for Neymar ahead of PSG team-mate and rival Kylian Mbappe for The Best award

Lionel Messi did his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe no favors when he voted for Neymar and Karim Benzema ahead of the French superstar in The Best FIFA Football Awards.

Messi was named the world’s best men’s player at the ceremony in Paris after eliminating competition from second-placed Mbappé.

Given his status as Argentina’s captain, Messi was allowed to vote and chose Neymar as his first choice ahead of another of his PSG teammates in Mbappé, who did not get a vote because he is not the France captain.

Votes were cast by supporters, national team captains, national team coaches and 300 journalists from various nations, with each of the four pillars receiving 25 percent of the vote.

England captain Harry Kane voted for Messi, Sadio Mane and Benzema as his top three. Kane did not include Mbappe, who was part of the France squad that knocked England out of the World Cup in the quarterfinals.

Lionel Messi voted for Neymar before Kylian Mbappé for FIFA’s The Best award

Messi chose Neymar as his first option, with Mbappé in second and Karim Benzema in third

Mbappé finished in second place in the overall award, with Messi winning the award.

Despite captaining Portugal in the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo did not vote in the awards

Cristiano Ronaldo did not vote in the awards, Pepe is listed as Portugal’s captain even though Ronaldo is their official World Cup captain and has not yet retired from international football.

Pepe, the veteran defender who previously played for Real Madrid, did not include his old Barcelona rival Messi in his top three. Instead he chose Mbappé, Modric and Benzema.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, the Egypt captain, selected Vinicius Junior as his first choice. The Brazilian star scored Real Madrid’s winning goal against Liverpool in the Champions League final last season.

Salah opted not to include his former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane in his top three; there were frequent hints of discontent between the pair when they played together and Mane bested him in the Africa Cup of Nations final last year. Instead, Salah rounded out his top three by choosing Kevin De Bruyne and Achraf Hakimi.

Meanwhile, England manager Gareth Southgate opted for Messi, Luka Modric and Mbappé.

Harry Kane did not vote for Mbappé, whose French team eliminated England from the World Cup

Salah’s first choice was Vinicus Junior, who scored against Liverpool in the Champions League final

Unsurprisingly, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni voted for Messi as his winner, with another of his players named a runner-up in Julián Álvarez. Modric was his third option.

France coach Didier Deschamps opted for Mbappé before Benzema and Messi.

Hugo Lloris, the captain of France, opted for a trio identical to that of his coach in the same order.

Korea Republic coach Michael Franz Muller, Guyana manager Sam Cox and Central African Raoul Savoy all selected 19-year-old England midfielder Jude Bellingham as their first choice.

Pepe did not include his old rival Messi in his top three: he opted for Mbappé, Modric and Benzema.

Three managers voted for England star Jude Bellingham as their first choice player

England coach Gareth Southgate’s top three consisted of Messi, Modric and Mbappé.

Martin Odegaard listed fellow Norwegian Erling Haaland as his second choice

Brazil captain Thiago Silva voted for his compatriot Neymar followed by Messi and Benzema.

Germany coach Hansi Flick picked Messi as his winner but did not include Mbappe or Benzema in his top three, instead opting for Modric and Robert Lewandowski.

Lewandowski himself had Messi in first place followed by Mbappé and Modric.

Martin Odegaard had Messi as his first option, with fellow Norwegian Erling Haaland second and Mbappé third.

Meanwhile, Greece coach Gustavo Poyet had Haaland as his first choice over Messi and Benzema.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente picked Manchester City striker Julián Álvarez first, with Bellingham second and Modric third.