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Messi awarded FIFA best men’s player of 2023

Other contenders included Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Kylian Mbappe

Lionel Messi Sergey Bobylev/TASS

Lionel Messi

© Sergey Bobylev/TASS

LONDON, January 16. /TASS/. Argentine’s Lionel Messi was found the best men’s player of 2023, according to the International Association Football Federation (FIFA). The awarding ceremony takes place in London.

Other contenders included Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Kylian Mbappe.

In December 2022, Messi became the world champion, playing in the Argentine national team. He scored seven goals in seven matches and was found the best player of the tournament. He spent the last season in PSG, becoming the Champion of France. In summer of 2023, Messi joined Inter Miami, where he won the Leagues Cup. This has become his 44th trophy, making him the most awarded football player in history. In October, he won the Ballon d'Or Award - the best player of the season, according to the France Football magazine - for the eighth time.

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Russian national women’s handball team defeats Belarus in friendly match

The Russian national women’s handball team won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil and the silver medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Japan

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Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who leads the Social Democratic Party, ended up third with 19.15% of the vote

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West wants to use Kalinousky Regiment to destabilize Belarus — Russian intelligence chief

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Head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency Veronika Skvortskova briefed the Russian President on the vaccine's development

US gives Ukrainian servicemen guidance on selecting targets for ATACMS — White House

The Ukrainian servicemen "are able to use ATACMS to defend themselves on an immediate need basis," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said

Potential handover of nuclear arms by US to Kiev ‘act of treason’ — US congresswoman

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Ukraine abandons Selidovo, laying mines in wells — security services

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Sergey Ryabkov warned Russia’s adversaries against settling into a "false sense of security"

NATO pledges to continue supporting Ukraine following Russia’s launch of Oreshnik missile

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According to reports, US president-elect Donald Trump mentioned Nehammer's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place shortly after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine

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Public tribunal releases more testimonies exposing Kiev forces' atrocities in Selidovo

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Press review: Russia to mass-produce Oreshnik missiles and EU gas prices reach record high

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Kremlin confident Putin’s warning about strikes inside Russia was well heard in West

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Emergence of new weapons changed canons of war, Medvedev says

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Lithuania open to sending European troops to Ukraine — foreign minister

"It may become necessary for European soldiers to be deployed on Ukrainian soil, and Lithuania is always ready to consider such options," Gabrielius Landsbergis stated

Intel chief calls on West to embrace Putin's vision for resolving Ukraine conflict

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Ukraine launches second strike on Novaya Kakhovka after emergency services arrive

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Ukrainian forces attempt to assassinate Novaya Kakhovka head, his deputy with drones

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No one wins in trade war, says Chinese embassy in US

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Anglo-Saxon special services involved in Nord Stream blasts, SVR chief says

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US continues to plunder Afghanistan with impunity, says Shoigu

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Moscow to respond promptly if London inflates British diplomat’s expulsion issue

British Ambassador to Moscow Nigel Casey was summoned earlier in the day by the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note of protest

British mercenary claims he was sent to Russia’s Kursk Region against his will

The captive explained that he had served as a private in a battalion for four months

NATO expanding presence in Arctic, Baltic, Black Sea, Caspian regions — FSB chief

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Key energy facility in Ternopol Region almost completely destroyed

Vyacheslav Negoda noted that a power shortage will remain in the region for a long time

Kremlin spokesman advises those fearing nuclear escalation to review Russia’s doctrine

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Russian forces strike Ukrainian drone control centers near ZNPP

According to Vladimir Rogov, the ZNPP personnel continues working routinely

British mercenary taken into custody and Ukraine's losses: situation in Kursk Region

The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 250 troops, four tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, three armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles and two mortars in the past day

Moscow strips UK diplomat of accreditation over false data in documents — Russian agency

"Based on the aforementioned grounds, the Russian Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the concerned agencies, made a decision to strip Wilkes Edward Pryor of accreditation, and he is ordered to leave Russia within two weeks," the statement reads

West attempting to stage color revolution in Georgia, Lavrov warns

According to the top Russian diplomat, the West actively uses an extensive network of non-governmental organizations "to create domestic instability in the countries of the Global South and the Global East"

France, UK will have to pay for their helping Ukraine strike inside Russia — diplomat

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations Mikhail Ulyanov said that what has been done by the White House is very dangerous

Talk of halting Ukraine conflict related to Russia’s initiative on battlefield — SVR

Sergey Naryshkin added that the Western capitals "stopped thinking about strategically defeating Russia and shifted to thinking about how to avoid such a defeat themselves"

UK delivered dozens of Storm Shadow missiles to Kiev weeks ago — news agency

Bloomberg pointed out that the missiles were sent before the US and UK authorization to use long-range precision-guided weapons to launch strikes from Ukrainian territory deep into Russia

British military instructor captured, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

In total, the enemy has lost more than 35,510 troops since the fighting began in the region

Ukrainian officer says 90% of fellow servicemen have no desire to fight

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Proposal to give Kiev nuclear arms highly extremist — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that this is an absolutely irresponsible line of reasoning from those with a poor grasp of reality