Vinicius Júnior, elected Best FIFA Player after the Ballon d’Or snub

Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior has been crowned Player of the Year at the FIFA Best Awards.

The 24-year-old winger, along with Real Madrid, notably skipped the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony after being overlooked in favor of Manchester City’s Rodri.

However, Vinicius took this prestigious honor during the ceremony held in Doha.

Vinicius played a decisive role in Real Madrid’s successful 2023-24 season, where they clinched the Champions League and La Liga titles.

Throughout the campaign, he contributed 24 goals and 11 assists.

Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati 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 recognized as coaches of the year.

For Vinicius, this is his first FIFA Best award and adds a positive moment to a season that previously included the Ballon d’Or boycott in October.

The best moment of Real Madrid. ⚪️✨ pic.twitter.com/gPLtcZ7eVP

—Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 17, 2024

The FIFA Best and Ballon d’Or awards are widely regarded as the two most prestigious individual honors in football.

Lionel Messi had won the FIFA Best award in the previous two years, and Robert Lewandowski won it in the previous two years.

This year’s award, which recognized performances from August 2023 to August 2024, was determined through a voting process divided equally between four groups: fans, journalists (one per country) and national team captains and coaches. Each group’s vote represented 25% of the final decision.

Vinicius’ teammates at Real Madrid were already in Qatar preparing for the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup against Mexican side Pachuca, which will take place on Wednesday at the Lusail stadium.

Men’s Team of the Year

The FIFPro Men’s World XI featured five Premier League stars along with five Real Madrid players, including the recently retired Toni Kroos, and a Barcelona representative.

The full lineup included:

• Goalie: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
• Defenders: Rubén Días (Manchester City), William Lintasa (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
• Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Rodri (Manchester City)
• Forwards: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).