FIFA Best Player Award: How Rohr, Mikel Obi voted for Messi ahead of Ronaldo

The voting choices African coaches and captains made in this year’s FIFA Best Player Award, has been revealed.

Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the prize for a second consecutive year, ahead of Lionel Messi and Neymar.



The award is voted for by the captain, coach and journalist of each FIFA member nation, with five points given to the first choice, three to second and one for third.

Gernot Rohr, Super Eagles’ head coach, voted for Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Gianluigi Buffon. His captain, John Obi Mikel, voted for Messi ahead of Ronaldo.

Algeria’s coach, Lucas Alvarez, went for Neymar, Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos. However, the Desert Foxes’ captain, Raïs M’Bolhi, did go for Ronaldo, followed by Buffon and Messi.

Belgian coach Hugo Broos, who led Cameroon to the Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year, picked Ronaldo as his winner, while Indomitable Lions captain Benjamin Moukandjo went for Messi.

Morocco coach Herve Renard also went for Ronaldo over Messi, while captain Mehdi Elmoutaki had Buffon, Paulo Dybala and Ronaldo as his 1-2-3, with no space for Messi.
The coaches and captains of Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe all picked Ronaldo as their winner, while Ghana and Senegal did not vote.