Fifa Best Awards: David Alaba says Lionel Messi vote was Austria 'team decision'

Alaba and Benzema person won 1 La Liga and 1 Champions League rubric together

Austria skipper David Alaba says it was a "team decision" for him to ballot for Lionel Messi implicit his ain Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema arsenic men's subordinate of the twelvemonth astatine the Best Fifa Awards.

Argentina guardant Messi won the accolade connected Monday up of France forwards Kylian Mbappe and Benzema.

"The Austrian nationalist squad ballot for this grant arsenic a team, not maine alone," said Alaba.

"Everyone successful the squad assembly is capable to ballot and that's however it's decided."

Fifa released a database of who voted for whom astatine the awards. Alaba voted for Benzema 2nd and Mbappe third, prompting the hashtag #AlabaOut to inclination connected societal media.

Benzema and Alaba person played unneurotic astatine Madrid since the second joined from Bayern Munich successful 2021.

"Everyone knows, particularly Karim, however overmuch I respect him and his performances and I person often said that for maine helium is the champion striker successful the world, and that is inactive the case. Without doubt," said Alaba.

The grant was voted for by nationalist squad coaches and captains arsenic good arsenic journalists and fans crossed the world.

Who voted for whom?

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