FIFA appear to have landed themselves in hot water in the wake of their 'The Best' awards ceremony on Monday, as representatives from Sudan and Nicaragua have claimed that they did not vote for Lionel Messi to win men's best player - despite the published ballots showing they did.
Messi pipped Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk to the award after netting 51 goals in 50 appearances last season, and although there was some surprise that the Dutchman failed to collect the trophy after marshalling the Reds to Champions League glory. However, the comprehensive system of voting meant few could make a case against Messi deserving the win.