After being abused by Real Madrid fans, David Alaba was forced to explain why he voted for Lionel Messi over Karim Benzema in the FIFA Best poll.
As Austria’s captain, he was a part of the process that resulted in seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi being named FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year for the second time.
Despite the fact that his name appears on the ballot, the Real Madrid center-back claims that the Austrian national team players voted as a group.
Real Madrid defender David Alaba has come under fire after voting for Lionel Messi rather than teammate and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema in The Best awards.
He was forced to address the issue on social media in order to silence Real Madrid fans who believe he betrayed his own teammate. He had to vote as captain of the Austrian national team.
Throughout the night, Alaba faced a barrage of criticism and was forced to issue a statement on social media to explain his vote.
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Although Alaba’s name is displayed officially, the Austrian team decided to pool the opinions of all the players and it was determined that Messi should be the winner, Benzema second, and Kylian Mbappe third.
Regarding FIFA The Best Award:
The Austrian national team vote for this award as a team, not me alone. Everyone in the team council is able to vote and that's how it's decided.Everyone knows, especially Karim, how much I admire him and his performances
— David Alaba (@David_Alaba) February 28, 2023
He wrote on Twitter saying: “Regarding FIFA The Best Award: The Austrian national team vote for this award as a team, not me alone. Everyone in the team council is able to vote and that’s how it’s decided. Everyone knows, especially Karim, how much I admire him and his performances and I have often said that for me he is the best striker in the world, and that is still the case. Without doubt.”
Source: Marca.com
