Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior secured a significant global accolade on Tuesday, being named the men’s player of the year at FIFA’s “The Best” awards. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí continued her dominance in women’s soccer by winning the best women’s player award.
At just 24 years old, Vinícius expressed his joy after a disappointing loss to Manchester City’s Rodri for the Ballon d’Or in October, which led him and his team to boycott the Paris ceremony in protest. This time, he edged out Rodri by five points to claim the top honor. Vinícius attended the FIFA ceremony after traveling to Doha with his team for the Intercontinental Cup final against Pachuca.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” Vinícius 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 São Gonçalo, 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.”
In an Instagram post, Vinícius subtly criticized the Ballon d’Or voters, stating, “Today I am writing to that boy who saw so many idols lift this trophy… your time has come. Or rather, my time has come. The time to say … yes, I am the best player in the world and I fought hard for it. 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.”
Vinícius has faced racist abuse in Spain and previously expressed doubts about his desire to continue playing, but reaffirmed his commitment to fight against discrimination.
Aitana Bonmatí, 26, received the award for best women’s player, marking her second consecutive win at FIFA’s awards, following her Ballon d’Or victories in recent years. She led Barcelona to a historic treble, winning the Spanish league, cup, and Champions League in 2024.
“I am grateful to receive this award. As I always say, this is a team effort,” Bonmatí 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 announced that the winners were determined through an “equally weighted voting system” involving fans, national team captains and coaches, and media representatives.
An 11-player shortlist was created for both awards, based on performances from August 21, 2023, to August 10, 2024. Vinícius had a standout season, scoring 24 goals in 39 appearances and contributing to Real Madrid’s record-extending 15th European Cup, marking his second Champions League title. He also scored in the final, making him the youngest player to score in two Champions League finals.
Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham finished third, followed by Dani Carvajal and Lamine Yamal, while Lionel Messi, the previous winner for the last two years, placed sixth.
Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti was named best men’s coach, while Emma Hayes of the United States was honored as the best women’s coach for leading the USWNT to Olympic gold in Paris. Alyssa Naeher received the women’s goalkeeper award, and Emiliano Martínez won the men’s goalkeeper award for the second consecutive year.
Alejandro Garnacho earned the FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal, recognized for his spectacular overhead kick for Manchester United against Everton in November 2023. Additionally, Brazilian legend Marta received the inaugural FIFA Marta Award for her goal against Jamaica in June.
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