Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid is named the Best Men’s FIFA Player
Doha, December 17— Brazil and Real Madrid star, Vinicius Junior, was Tuesday named FIFA men’s player of the year at the world football governing body FIFA’s The Best awards, where Spain and Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati continued to clean up in the prizes for women’s soccer.
Vinicius scored 24 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions to help Real Madrid clinch the LaLiga and Champions League double, and he also netted in their Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund.
The Brazilian won the award ahead of Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri and his teammate at Real, England’s Jude Bellingham.
The 24-year-old, who narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or to Rodri in October, was in Doha to collect the award, with Real in Qatar for Wednesday’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexico’s Pachuca.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” Vinicius said in Portuguese. “It was so far away that it seemed impossible to get here. I was a kid who only played football barefoot on the streets of Sao Goncalo, close to poverty and crime”.
“Getting here is something very important to me. I’m doing it for many children who think that everything is impossible and who think they can’t get here.”
They tried and still try to invalidate me, to diminish me. But they are not prepared. No one is going to tell me who I should fight for, how I should behave.”
Vinicius has been subjected to racist abuse in Spain and at one point earlier this year, said he was “losing my desire to play” but added, “I’ll keep fighting”.
Aitana Bonmati walks past the Champions League trophy after winning the final this year with Barcelona against Olympique Lyonnais
Bonmati won the women’s player of the year award, making it back-to-back prizes at FIFA’s version of the older and more prestigious Ballon d’Or prize.
The 26-year-old Spain midfielder has won the Ballon d’Or for two straight years, and won the Spanish League, Spanish Cup and Champions League with Barcelona in 2024.
The 26-year-old helped her club to a domestic treble last season in a campaign in which Barca also retained the Champions League, and Bonmati scored in the semi-final and final when Spain won the Nations League in February.
“I am grateful to receive this award. As I always say, this is a team effort,” Bonmati said. “It was a great year, very difficult to repeat. I am grateful to the people who help me to be better every day, from the club, to my teammates, who always help me to be better.”
FIFA said the award winners were decided by an “equally weighted voting system” by fans, the current captains and coaches of all national teams, and media representatives.
There was an 11-player shortlist for both awards, with the contenders selected based on their performances from August 21, 2023, to August 10, 2024.
Vinicius Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham was third, ahead of Dani Carvajal and Lamine Yamal, with Lionel Messi — who had won the award the previous two years — sixth.
Carlo Ancelotti, of Real Madrid, receives The Best FIFA men’s coach award
Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti won the best men’s coach award, after the Italian led his club to the league and Champions League double last season.
“I want to share this with the club, with my president and with my players, those of the best club in the world,” Ancelotti said.
Emma Hayes won the best women’s coach award, after taking the U.S. to the gold medal at this year’s Olympic Games having taken Chelsea to the WSL title last season, her fifth successive league win with the club.
Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas Award, for best goal of the year for the Argentine winger’s strike for Manchester United against Everton in the Premier League in November last year.
Brazil’s Marta won the inaugural Marta Award, for the best goal in women’s football, taking the prize named in her honour for her goal against Jamaica in June of this year.
The best women’s goalkeeper award went to American Alyssa Naeher of the Chicago Red Stars while Emiliano Martinez of Argentina and Aston Villa took the men’s award.
Alejandro Garnacho won the FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal, for his sensational overhead strike for Manchester United against Everton in November 2023.
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