Vinicius Jr Secures Fifa Best Men’s Player of the Year Award

Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Jr has secured the men’s player of the year title at the Fifa Best Awards, marking his inaugural win of the accolade. The 24-year-old, along with his club, had previously boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony after Manchester City’s Rodri was awarded the prize; however, Vinicius Jr accepted this particular award in Doha. Vinicius was instrumental in Real Madrid’s successful 2023-24 season, which saw them win the Champions League and La Liga, contributing 24 goals and 11 assists. Prior to this, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati received the women’s player of the year award for the second consecutive year during the same event. This achievement represents Vinicius’s initial victory for this award, concluding his season on a more positive note compared to the boycott of the Ballon d’Or in October. Vinicius stated, “It seemed impossible when I played barefoot in the streets of Sao Goncalo and now I’m here.” The Ballon d’Or and the Fifa Best Awards are recognized as the two most esteemed accolades in the sport of football. This marks Vinicius’s inaugural Fifa prize, following Lionel Messi’s wins in the two preceding awards and Robert Lewandowski’s victories in the two awards prior to Messi’s. The recipient of the award, which acknowledges performances from August 2023 to August 2024, was determined by a combination of public votes, input from one journalist representing each country, and the votes of each national team’s captain and manager. Each of these voting segments contributed 25% to the final decision. Real Madrid was already present in Qatar for the Fifa Intercontinental Cup final scheduled for Wednesday, where they were set to face Mexican club Pachuca at Lusail Stadium. Rodri, the Euro 2024-winning midfielder from Spain, secured second place behind Vinicius for the award, with Real Madrid’s England international Jude Bellingham coming in third. Fifa has disclosed the voting preferences of each coach and captain. England’s captain, Harry Kane, cast his vote for Rodri, placing his international team-mate Bellingham in second position and Vinicius in third. Lee Carsley, who served as the Three Lions’ interim manager at the time of voting, selected Bellingham, Rodri, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, respectively. Both Scotland’s manager, Steve Clarke, and Wales’s manager, Craig Bellamy, chose Rodri as their primary selection. Wales captain Aaron Ramsey selected Vinicius, whereas Northern Ireland captain Paddy McNair cast his vote for Rodri. The captain and manager of Brazil both voted for Vinicius, but their Spanish equivalents both chose Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal. The men’s team of the year featured five players from the Premier League, five from Real Madrid (including the retired Toni Kroos), and one from Barcelona. The chosen players were Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Jude Bellingham, Kroos (all representing Real Madrid), Rodri, Erling Haaland (both from Manchester City), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), and Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid). Martinez was recognized as the goalkeeper of the year, having contributed to Argentina’s Copa America victory. The 32-year-old has now claimed the best goalkeeper award on two occasions at both the Ballon d’Or and Fifa Best ceremonies. The Puskas Award for the best men’s goal of the year was awarded to Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho for his remarkable bicycle kick during their 3-0 victory against Everton in November 2023, a goal that had previously been named the Premier League’s goal of the season. Mohammed Kudus’s impressive solo goal for West Ham in the Europa League match against Freiburg also received a nomination. Prior to this season, the award encompassed all football, but a newly introduced Marta Award now specifically recognizes achievements in the women’s game. In a pre-recorded interview, Argentine Garnacho expressed, “I’m very proud to win this award. It’s a proud moment for me and my family. It was a special goal and I will always remember it.” Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, who guided the Spanish club to both the Champions League and La Liga titles last season, was named coach of the year. The 65-year-old Italian manager secured this award, which has been presented annually since 2016, for the first time. Ancelotti commented, “I want to share this with the club, with my president and with my players, those of the best club in the world.” Ancelotti also received the corresponding award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, which meant Xabi Alonso, despite leading Bayer Leverkusen to their inaugural German double, did not receive recognition in either award. A majority of the past recipients of the Fifa Best Awards have been Premier League managers, including Claudio Ranieri, Jurgen Klopp (on two occasions), Thomas Tuchel, and Pep Guardiola last year.