Real Madrid and Brazilian winger, Vinicius Jr has been voted the men’s player of the year at the 2024 FIFA Best Awards.
Recall that Vinicius Jr and his club chose to boycott the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony as Manchester City’s Rodri won it ahead of him. However, he attended the FIFA Best Awards ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, December 17.
Vinicius played a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s success during the 2023-2024 season, contributing 24 goals and 11 assists, which were crucial in their victories in both the Champions League and La Liga.
This marks Vinicius Junior’s first FIFA Best award victory, following Lionel Messi’s victories in the previous two years and Robert Lewandowski’s win in 2020.
Note that the award is based on performances from August 2023 to August 2024 and is determined by a combination of public votes, one journalist from each country, and the votes from the captain and manager of each national team, with each segment counting for 25%.
The 2024 FIFA Best Awards took place on the same day Real Madrid arrived in Qatar to prepare for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca at Lusail Stadium on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, FIFA also named Barcelona midfielder, Aitana Bonmati, as the 2024 FIFA Best Player in the women category, winning the award for the second consecutive time.
The 26-year-old Spaniard Bonmati won the Best Women’s Player award for the second year running, adding to the two Ballon d’Or trophies she already boasts.
“I’m grateful, I’m proud to receive this award,” Bonmati said via video link from Barcelona’s Olympic stadium.
Last season, Bonmati guided Barcelona to an unprecedented continental quadruple and secured the Nations League title with her national team.
In the 2023/24 season, she won every available trophy in club football, including the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de España, and her second consecutive Women’s Champions League title.
In the Champions League final, Bonmati not only scored a goal but also delivered a player-of-the-match performance, leading Barcelona to a 2-0 victory over Lyon, thereby securing their third title in four years.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho, the Argentine forward for Manchester United, was awarded the Puskas award for the best goal of the year, thanks to his stunning bicycle kick against Everton in the Premier League.
Other major winners at the 2024 FIFA Best Awards
In the men’s team of the year, five players were selected from the Premier League, alongside five from Real Madrid (including retired legend Toni Kroos) and one from Barcelona.
The selected players included Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Jude Bellingham, and Kroos (all Real Madrid), along with Rodri and Erling Haaland (both Man City), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), and Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid).
Emiliano Martinez won the Goalkeeper of the Year for his invaluable contributions to Argentina’s triumph in the Copa America.
The prestigious Puskas Award for the best men’s goal of the year was awarded to Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho for his stunning bicycle kick in a 3-0 victory over Everton in November 2023. His spectacular goal was previously recognized as the Premier League’s goal of the season.
In a notable development, a new Marta Award was introduced to honor exceptional performances in women’s football.
The Coach of the Year award was presented to Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid, who skillfully guided the team to win both the Champions League and La Liga titles in the previous season. This marked the first time the 65-year-old Italian received the award, which has been recognizing outstanding coaches since 2016.
