Sports
Overview of the FIFA Awards As Messi, Pep, and Others Received Honors
Football Stars Barometer by Betzillion: Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Others Reviewed
Football is one of the most important sports in the world. Since it has many followers across the globe, betting on the sport is also on the rise. We can help you stay informed about what’s happening in football. Let’s share some information about the event in light of the just-concluded 2023 FIFA Award Night.
Live Updates: Lionel Messi Secures FIFA Best Awards 2023 Prize; Bonmati, Guardiola, and Wiegman Recognized

Lionel Messi won his record 8th Ballon d’Or in 2023, but the Argentina skipper appears not to be stopping yet as he bagged the Men FIFA Best Award. Bagging the award for the third time, he edged Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, who took the second and third positions.
It has caused an uproar in the football nation, as some believe he doesn’t deserve the award.
Messi is not the only one whose award is questioned, as the England National Women’s Coach Sarina Wiegman’s Best Female Manager award also raised some controversy.
We will analyze the January 15th event in London by discussing comments from readers. We will also discuss other top awards at the event, including the newly introduced award in honor of the Brazilian legend Marta.
Puskás Award Voting Results – Santos Emerges as Fans’ Top Choice
The Puskás Award remained one of the honors many looked out for at FIFA Award Night. It honors Ferenc Puskás, who had many stunning goals in his collection. With the top incredible goals scored between December 2022 and August 20, 2023, contesting for this award, the votes from expert Panelists and fans determine the winner.
While Guilherme Madruga won with an overall score of 22 points, the voting shows fans preferred Nuno Santos’s goal with 18 points. Comparing the goals, Madruga scored an overhead kick against Novorizontino for Botafogo-SP, while Santos scored a daring 15-yard Rabona kick for Sporting against Boavista.
A closer look at the voting shows that 11 out of 18 points that Santos got are from the fans, as opposed to Madruga’s 9. But the Panelist votes came through for the Brazilian, with 13 points against Santos’s seven from the Panelists. Even Brighton’s Julio Enciso’s long-range stunner gathered more points (11) from the Panelists.
The total points for the FIFA Puskás award are 50, and Madruga’s 22 points were enough to clinch the award. You can check the table below for the full breakdown of the votes.
| Rank | Names | Panelists Points | Fans Points | Total |
| 1 | Guilherme Madruga | 13 | 9 | 22 |
| 2 | Nuno Santos | 7 | 11 | 18 |
| 3 | Julio Enciso | 11 | 6 | 17 |
Reader Feedback: Questioning Wiegman’s Selection as the Best Coach
Another exciting 2023 FIFA Award Night award that got people talking was the Best Coach award given to England’s Sarina Wiegman. Manchester City’s Boss, Pep Guardiola, won the men’s version of the award, and everyone believes he deserves it with his team’s incredible treble in 2023. But we can’t say the same for Wiegman’s accolade, as some believe other candidates should have won it.
The Dutchwoman won two trophies with the in-form English women’s team and even made it to the finals of the World Cup. Since she couldn’t deliver the World Cup, which the Spanish National team won, some football fans believed she didn’t deserve it. Some football fans blamed the final loss on her poor selection and choice of substitute.
Some suggested Jonatan Giráldez, the in-form Barcelona Femeni team coach, should have won the accolade. The poll says otherwise, with Wiegman (28 points) gapping the second-placed Chelsea Women Boss, Emma Hayes (18 points). Jonatan Giráldez came in third with 14 points. She has won the FIFA Women’s Manager of the Year for the fourth time, previously winning in 2022, 2020, and 2017.
Women national team coaches, captains, football journalists, and fans determined the polls for this award. The voting is on the official FIFA website. You can see the poll results below.
| Rank | Name | Coaches | Captains | Media | Fans | Point scored |
| 1 | Sarina Wiegman | 688 | 791 | 627 | 169,193 | 28 |
| 2 | Emma Hayes | 356 | 359 | 297 | 122,871 | 18 |
| 3 | Jonatan Giráldez | 320 | 284 | 339 | 120,842 | 14 |
Subscriber Niko N Raises Doubts on Men’s Award Winner: Messi’s World Cup Triumph vs. Haaland’s Club Season Brilliance
The FIFA Men’s Best Player Award has always been the event’s highlight, and the 2023 Award wasn’t an exception. The three finalists were Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi, with the latter winning it despite not being present at the event.
You would agree that the best football odds are in the World Cup, English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and other major league matches quite popular on Betzillion. With Messi winning the World Cup and Haaland winning the U.C.L. and EPL, the tied result of the top candidates wasn’t too surprising. They both scored 48 points, while Mbappé scored 35.
The Argentine Captain won it because he had more first-place votes than the others, but some of our readers have contrary opinions. For instance, Niko N believes Haaland’s impact on Manchester City’s treble weighs more than Messi’s World Cup victories. The subscriber also believed Messi didn’t perform well at the club level despite helping P.S.G. win their 11th league title.
Many believed Lionel Messi is still the best, judging from how the poll went, as he received the most first-place votes from national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans. Since he was absent, his former teammate and co-host, Thierry Henry, received the award on his behalf. Kylian Mbappe and Haaland were on the Men’s World 11 line-up; you can check the full 11 via this tweet.
Tally of Votes for Coach Awards
Looking at the coaches’ category of the awards, the winners gapped their runner-ups by 10 points each. It shows Both Guardiola and Wiegman had impressive campaigns in 2023. Pep Guardiola led Manchester City’s team to the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, and F.A. Cup titles.
Despite losing in the final of the World Cup, Sarina Wiegman also had an impressive campaign. She won the Arnold Clark Cup and the Women’s Finalissima for the Lioness. Compare the margin of votes for the two categories below:
Men’s Coach:
- Pep Guardiola – 28 points
- Luciano Spalletti – 18 points
- Simone Inzaghi – 11 points
- Xavi – 11 points
- Ange Postecoglou – 4 points
Women’s Coach:
- Sarina Wiegman – 28 points
- Emma Hayes – 18 points
- Jonatan Giraldez – 14 points
- Peter Gerhardsson – 7
- Tony Gustavsson – 5
Thierry Henry Unveils the Marta Award: A New Annual Honor for the Finest Goal in Women’s Global Football
The Women’s Best Player award, won by Spain and Barcelona Femeni’s Aitana Bonmatí, was one of the highlights of the women’s category at the awards. She won 52 points, ahead of Linda Caicedo (40 points) and Jennifer Hermoso (36 points), and the Six-time Winner, Marta, received recognition.
Marta gave an emotional speech, encouraging women around the world. The host, Henry, then announced that FIFA will start giving a new award in her name starting next year. It will be the female version of the Puskás Awards for the best goals scored by female footballers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the most FIFA Men’s Player of the Year?
Lionel Messi has the most FIFA Men’s Player Award after winning it for the 3rd time in January 2024. While retaining the award from 2022, he first won it in 2019. Lionel Messi won the 2023 edition of the FIFA Men’s Best Player. He had 48 points from the poll, tying with Erling Haaland, and the body crowned him because he had more first-place votes.
Who is the FIFA Women’s Best Player for 2023?
Aitana Bonmatí won the 2023 Women’s Best Player Award, inspiring Spain to the triumph of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also won titles with Barcelona. Linda Caicedof, Real Madrid, is in second place.
Sports
The Role of Tech and Interface Stability in High-Pressure Live Sports Betting Moments
Live sports betting puts platforms under a different kind of pressure. Unlike pre-match betting, nothing waits. Goals arrive out of nowhere, momentum flips, injuries interrupt the flow, and a match can change direction in seconds. When that happens, the quality of the technology underneath starts to matter just as much as the numbers on the screen.
What separates reliable live betting platforms from frustrating ones is not speed alone. It is stability. The ability to keep screens calm, information readable, and interactions predictable while activity spikes is a technical challenge that few systems handle well.
Why High-Pressure Moments Test Platforms
High-pressure moments look different across sports. In football, it might be a late penalty or a VAR decision. In basketball, it is a final possession. In tennis, a break point. In boxing, a sudden knockdown. Each creates a surge of user activity at the exact same time.
From a technical perspective, this is where systems are most vulnerable. Too many updates at once can cause flickering layouts, delayed inputs, or confusing state changes. Strong platforms like Betway live sports betting anticipate these spikes and manage them deliberately, across live football, basketball, tennis, boxing, and other fast-moving sports where pressure builds quickly and timing matters most.
Stability Over Raw Speed
One of the most important design choices in live betting is update prioritisation. Not every piece of data needs to refresh instantly. Critical events come first. Supporting information follows. This prevents the interface from jumping around when users are trying to make decisions.
You see this approach across modern live environments, especially in live sports betting sections where the match timeline quietly shapes what appears on screen and when it appears. The idea is not to throw everything at the user at once. It is to keep people oriented even when things move fast.
Interface Discipline Across Sports
Live betting platforms that cover multiple sports face an added challenge. Each sport has a different rhythm. Football unfolds steadily. Basketball moves in bursts. Tennis swings between quiet rallies and sudden points. The interface has to adapt without changing its basic behaviour.
Good systems reuse interaction patterns across sports. Buttons appear in familiar places. Timers behave consistently. Feedback looks and feels the same whether someone is following football, basketball, or tennis. That consistency reduces hesitation when pressure is high.
Sports betting platforms, such as Betway, are often referenced in this context because their live environments apply the same structural logic across various sports. That does not draw attention to itself, which is exactly the point. When technology works properly, it fades into the background.
Where Casino Design Influences Live Betting
Interestingly, some of the best ideas behind live betting stability come from casino game design. Casino games rely on repetition, clear state changes, and predictable feedback. Those same principles now shape live sports interfaces.
By borrowing techniques like controlled state transitions and locked interaction phases, live betting platforms avoid accidental inputs and reduce confusion. The result is an experience that feels deliberate rather than reactive.
Calm Interfaces Build Confidence
In high-pressure moments, users do not want excitement from the interface. They already get that from the match. What they need is clarity. Screens that stay still. Information that appears where expected. Actions that behave the same way every time.
When platforms deliver that calm under pressure, trust follows naturally, not because of branding or features, but because the technology proves itself when it matters most.
Sports
AFCON 2025: Beat Morocco, Get $500k—Abdul Samad Rabiu Tells Super Eagles
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian billionaire industrialist and philanthropist, Mr Abdul Samad Rabiu, has announced a generous financial reward for the Super Eagles following their impressive 2–0 victory over Algeria, which secured Nigeria a spot in the semi-finals of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The win has reignited national enthusiasm, with the team widely praised for their composure, teamwork, and determination on the continental stage.
In a statement celebrating the victory, Mr Rabiu congratulated the players for lifting the spirit of the nation and reaffirmed his confidence in their ability to go further in the competition.
To motivate the squad ahead of the semi-finals, he pledged $500,000 to the players upon winning the semi-final match against Morocco, with an additional $50,000 for every goal scored.
If the Super Eagles advances to the final and clinch the AFCON title, Mr Rabiu has pledged a further $1 million, plus $100,000 for each goal scored in the final.
As the Nigerian team prepare for the semi-finals, the backing from Mr Rabiu adds to the growing sense of belief that the team can go all the way and restore AFCON glory to Nigeria, carrying the hopes of millions of fans across the country and the diaspora.
Nigeria produced a statement win against the Desert Foxes of Algeria on Saturday to power their way to the last four. The team faces the host nation, Morocco, next Wednesday.
Nigeria produced a stellar first half performance but failed to convert plenty of chances including Algerian defender forced a goal-line clearance in the 29th minute to deny Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey.
Nigerian attacker Akor Adams blasted another clear chance over the bar in the 37th minute of play.
However, Nigeria started the second half on a stronger foot with top striker Victor Osimhen producing a trademark leap in the to head the first goal past goalkeeper Lucas Zidane following a cross from Bruno Onyemaechi in the 47th minute.
The Nigerian gunman laid off the second goal for his counterpart Akor Adams to round the Algeria goalkeeper and slot home the second 10 minutes later, following a fine pass from Alex Iwobi.
Nigeria could have scored more, with Adams missing a late chance, but until the final whistle, it was a dominant performance from the Super Eagles.
Senegal defeated Mali by a lone goal on Friday and awaits the winner of the match between Egypt and Ivory Coast currently ongoing at the time of filing this report. Morocco put two past Cameroon yesterday.
Sports
SuperSport Serves up Key FA Cup and Serie A Battles This Weekend
Club football continues across Europe this weekend with the FA Cup third round bringing Premier League sides into action, alongside a pivotal round of fixtures in Serie A. Fans can follow every key moment live on SuperSport across DStv and GOtv.
FA Cup: Premier League Sides Enter the Competition
The FA Cup third round marks the entry point for Premier League clubs, with several top-flight sides facing lower-league opposition and a handful of all-Premier League encounters also on the schedule.
Manchester City open their campaign at home to Exeter City on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. City were held to a draw by Brighton in their last league outing and will look to secure a place in the fourth round against League One opposition.
Later on Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa at 6:45 p.m. Spurs arrive after a defeat at Bournemouth, while Villa were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace. Both sides will be aiming for a positive start to their FA Cup runs.
Chelsea travel to face Charlton Athletic at 9:00 p.m. The match marks the beginning of a new managerial era for Chelsea, who were recently beaten by Fulham and will be looking to regain momentum against Championship opposition.
On Sunday, Arsenal travel to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth at 3:00 p.m. The Premier League leaders played out a draw with Liverpool in their most recent match and are expected to rotate their squad as they begin their FA Cup campaign.
Manchester United host Brighton at Old Trafford at 5:30 p.m. United drew away at Burnley last time out, while Brighton also come into the tie following a league draw against Manchester City.
The round concludes on Monday night as Liverpool welcome Barnsley to Anfield at 8:45 p.m. Liverpool remain winless in 2026 following a draw with Arsenal and will look to progress against League One opposition.
All FA Cup fixtures air live on SS Premier League (GOtv Ch. 65, DStv Ch. 203).
Serie A: Inter vs Napoli Headlines Crucial Round
Serie A returns with a full slate of fixtures, headlined by a major top-of-the-table clash at the San Siro as Inter Milan host Napoli.
Roma begin the weekend at home to Sassuolo on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Roma secured a win away at Lecce in their last match and will look to build consistency as they push toward the top four. Sassuolo arrive after a heavy defeat to Juventus.
Atalanta host Torino later on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. Atalanta were convincing winners away at Bologna last time out, while Torino suffered a home defeat to Udinese.
On Sunday at 3:00 p.m., AC Milan travel to face Fiorentina. Milan were held to a draw by Genoa in their previous fixture, while Fiorentina earned a point away at Lazio.
The weekend’s standout Serie A fixture takes place on Sunday night at 8:45 p.m. as leaders Inter Milan face Napoli. Inter come into the match following a win at Parma, while Napoli were held to a draw by Verona in midweek.
Juventus round off the Serie A action on Monday at 8:45 p.m. when they host Cremonese. Juventus recorded a comfortable away win against Sassuolo last time out, while Cremonese drew with Cagliari.
All Serie A matches will be broadcast live on SS Africa 2 (GOtv Ch. 64, DStv Ch. 208).
Weekend Highlights
FA Cup
-
Manchester City vs Exeter City — Sat, 4:00 p.m.
-
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa — Sat, 6:45 p.m.
-
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea — Sat, 9:00 p.m.
-
Portsmouth vs Arsenal — Sun, 3:00 p.m.
-
Manchester United vs Brighton — Sun, 5:30 p.m.
-
Liverpool vs Barnsley — Mon, 8:45 p.m.
Serie A
-
Roma vs Sassuolo — Sat, 6:00 p.m.
-
Atalanta vs Torino — Sat, 8:45 p.m.
-
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Sun, 3:00 p.m.
-
Inter Milan vs Napoli — Sun, 8:45 p.m.
-
Juventus vs Cremonese — Mon, 8:45 p.m.
Where to Watch
All FA Cup matches air live on SS Premier League (DStv Channel 203, GOtv Channel 65). Serie A fixtures are broadcast on SS Africa 2 (DStv Channel 208, GOtv Channel 64). Fans can also stream every match live via the DStv Stream and GOtv Stream apps
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn










