Vinicius Jr. has been named the men’s Player of the Year at the FIFA Best Awards, marking a significant achievement in his career. The 24-year-old Real Madrid and Brazil winger received the prestigious honor during the ceremony held in Doha.
Vinicius, who along with his club boycotted the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony after missing out on the award to Manchester City’s Rodri, claimed this title following a stellar 2023-24 season. He played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s victories in both the Champions League and La Liga, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists.
This award is Vinicius’ first FIFA prize, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, who won the previous two, and Robert Lewandowski, who won the two before that. The award, covering football achievements from August 2023 to August 2024, was decided by a mix of public votes, votes from one journalist per country, and votes from national team captains and managers. Each group’s vote accounted for 25% of the final result.
Rodri, Spain’s Euro 2024-winning midfielder, finished second in the voting, while Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham came in third.
Real Madrid’s team was already in Qatar for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca, held at Lusail Stadium, when the awards were announced.
The voting process also revealed the preferences of various football figures. England’s captain Harry Kane placed Rodri first, followed by Bellingham and Vinicius. Other notable votes came from national team coaches such as Lee Carsley of England, who picked Bellingham, Rodri, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.
As for Brazil, both their captain and manager voted for Vinicius Jr., while Spain’s coach and captain selected Dani Carvajal, the Real Madrid right-back.
In addition to Vinicius Jr.’s victory, the event celebrated other remarkable achievements. Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa was named Goalkeeper of the Year after playing a pivotal role in Argentina’s Copa America win. The Team of the Year included five Premier League players—Emiliano Martinez, Ruben Dias, William Saliba, Rodri, and Erling Haaland—along with five from Real Madrid, including the retired Toni Kroos.
The FIFA Puskas Award for the best men’s goal of the year went to Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, who scored a sensational bicycle kick against Everton in November 2023. Garnacho expressed his pride, saying, “It’s a proud moment for me and my family. It was a special goal and I will always remember it.”
Carlo Ancelotti was named Coach of the Year after leading Real Madrid to victory in both the Champions League and La Liga. This marked the first time Ancelotti won the award, which has been presented since 2016. Notably, Ancelotti’s win comes after the award had predominantly been claimed by Premier League managers in recent years, including Pep Guardiola, who won last year.
In a year filled with standout performances, the FIFA Best Awards honored those who made a lasting impact on the footballing world.
