Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Jr has been crowned the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year at the FIFA Best Awards held in Doha. The 24-year-old winger, who boycotted the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony after losing to Manchester City midfielder Rodri, secured this prestigious honor following an outstanding season with Real Madrid.
Vinicius was instrumental in Real Madrid’s successful 2023-24 campaign, contributing 24 goals and 11 assists as the club triumphed in both the Champions League and La Liga. Reflecting on his journey, Vinicius said, “It seemed impossible when I played barefoot in the streets of Sao Goncalo, and now I’m here.” This marks his first FIFA Best Award, breaking a streak of wins by Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski in recent years.
The award, recognizing performances between August 2023 and August 2024, was determined through votes from fans, journalists, and national team captains and managers, with each group contributing 25% to the final tally. Spain’s Rodri and England’s Jude Bellingham finished second and third, respectively, while FIFA also published voting details from key participants, such as England’s Harry Kane and Scotland’s Steve Clarke.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati claimed the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year, adding to her growing list of accolades. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti was named FIFA Coach of the Year after guiding his team to victories in the Champions League and La Liga. This was Ancelotti’s first win since the award’s inception in 2016, as he shared his gratitude with his club, players, and president.
In other notable moments, the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year was given to Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentine winger’s stunning bicycle kick against Everton in November 2023 was hailed as the standout effort. Garnacho expressed his pride in a pre-recorded interview, calling the goal a memorable moment for himself and his family.
Additionally, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was honored as Goalkeeper of the Year for his role in helping his national team secure Copa América glory. Martinez has now won this award twice at both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best ceremonies.
The FIFA FIFPro Men’s World XI included five Premier League stars, five Real Madrid players, and one representative from Barcelona. The squad featured Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) in goal, with Ruben Dias (Manchester City) and William Saliba (Arsenal) among the defenders. Real Madrid players Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Jude Bellingham, and Toni Kroos, as well as Manchester City’s Rodri and Erling Haaland, also made the cut. Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Jr rounded out the team.
This star-studded lineup highlights the incredible depth of talent across Europe’s top leagues and honors standout performances over the past year.
