Real Madrid and Brazilian star Vinicius Junior was crowned the best player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards ceremony.
The 24-year-old winger, alongside Real Madrid, missed the recent Ballon d'Or ceremony after being overlooked in favor of Manchester City's Rodri.
However, Vinicius received this prestigious honor during the ceremony held in Doha.
Vinicius played an integral role in Real Madrid's successful 2023-24 season, winning the Champions League and La Liga titles.
During the season, he contributed 24 goals and 11 assists.
Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatti also had a night to celebrate, as she retained the Player of the Year award for the second year in a row, while Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes were honored as Coaches of the Year.
For Vinicius, this is his first ever FIFA Best Player award, and adds a positive touch to a season that previously included a Ballon d'Or boycott in October.
The best moment for Real Madrid. ⚪️✨ pic.twitter.com/gPLtcZ7eVP
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 17, 2024
The FIFA Best and Ballon d'Or awards are widely considered the most important individual awards in football.
Lionel Messi won the FIFA Best Award in the past two years, while Robert Lewandowski won it in the previous two years.
This year's award, which recognized performances from August 2023 to August 2024, was decided through a voting process divided equally between four groups: general fans, journalists (one for each country), and captains and managers of the national teams. Each group's vote represented 25% of the final decision.
Vinicius' Real Madrid teammates have already arrived in Qatar to prepare for the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican team Pachuca, which is scheduled to be held at Losail 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 one Barcelona representative.
The full lineup included:
- goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
- Defenders: Ruben Dias (Manchester City), William Lintassa (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid).
- Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Rodri (Manchester City).
- forward: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).
