Vinícius Junior, Aitana Bonmati win FIFA best player of the year
DOHA, Qatar –
Brazilian sensation, Vinícius Júnior, of Real Madrid, celebrated a significant milestone on Tuesday as he was crowned the men’s player of the year at the prestigious FIFA’s “The Best” awards ceremony. This accolade marks a remarkable achievement for the 24-year-old forward.
Vinícius had faced disappointment earlier in the year when he narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or award to Manchester City’s Rodri. In protest, he and his Madrid teammates opted to skip the ceremony in Paris. However, this time around, Vinícius emerged victorious, beating Rodri by a mere five points to claim the top honor. The talented Brazilian made the trip to Doha for the FIFA event while preparing for the Intercontinental Cup final against Pachuca.
On the women’s side, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati continued her winning streak by securing the award for the best women’s player of the year. Bonmati, a 26-year-old Spanish midfielder, has been a dominant force in women’s soccer, clinching consecutive titles at FIFA’s equivalent of the Ballon d’Or.
The voting process for the awards involved fans, current national team captains and coaches, as well as media representatives, with an equal weighting for each group. The shortlist of 11 players for both categories was selected based on performances from August 21, 2023, to August 10, 2024.
Vinícius had a standout season, scoring 24 goals in 39 appearances for Real Madrid and playing a pivotal role in the team’s Champions League triumph, their 15th overall. He made history by becoming the youngest player to score in two Champions League finals, solidifying his status as one of the brightest talents in world football.
In addition to Vinícius’ individual accolade, Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti was named the best men’s coach, while Emma Hayes, the coach of the United States women’s national team, claimed the women’s coaching award. The USWNT, led by Hayes, secured Olympic gold in Paris earlier in the year.
The awards ceremony also recognized outstanding goalkeeping performances, with Alyssa Naeher of the USWNT and Emiliano Martínez of Aston Villa and Argentina receiving the women’s and men’s goalkeeper awards respectively, with Martínez winning the men’s prize for the second consecutive year.
