Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior has been named the best player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards.
The 24-year-old winger, along with Real Madrid, notably missed out on the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony after being overlooked in favor of Manchester City’s Rodry.
However, Vinicius took home this prestigious honor during the ceremony held in Doha.
Vinicius was instrumental in Real Madrid’s successful 2023-24 season, where they claimed both the Champions League and La Liga.
Throughout the season, he contributed 24 goals and 11 assists.
Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati also had a night to celebrate as she retained her Woman of the Year award for the second year in a row, while Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes were both recognized as managers of the year.
For Vinicius, it marks his first FIFA Best award and adds a positive note to a season that previously included a boycott of the Ballon d’Or in October.
The best moment for Real Madrid. ⚪️✨ pic.twitter.com/gPLtcZ7eVP
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 17, 2024
The FIFA Best Awards and the Ballon d’Or are widely regarded as the two most important individual honors in football.
Lionel Messi had won the FIFA Best award the previous two years, with Robert Lewandowski winning the award the previous two years.
This year’s award, which recognized performances from August 2023 to August 2024, was determined through a voting process that was split evenly between four groups: public fans, journalists (one per country) and captains and managers of national teams. Each group’s vote accounted for 25% of the final decision.
Vinicius’ Real Madrid teammates were already in Qatar to prepare for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca at the Lusail Stadium on Wednesday.
Men’s Team of the Year
The FIFPro Men’s World XI included five Premier League stars alongside five Real Madrid players, including the recently retired Toni Kroos and a Barcelona representative.
The full lineup included:
- Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
- Defenders: Ruben Diaz (Manchester City), William Lindasa (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
- Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Rodry (Manchester City)
- Front: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Lamin Yamal (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).
