Brazilian star Vinicius Junior has won the FIFA Best Men’s Player award after an impressive year with Real Madrid.
The award was presented on Tuesday during a ceremony held in Doha, Qatar.
The 24-year-old Real Madrid forward beat Manchester City’s Rodri to claim the top prize. This comes after Vinicius missed out on the Ballon d’Or in October, a decision that upset many Madrid fans. Rodri had won the Ballon d’Or, but this time, Vinicius was rewarded for his outstanding performance in 2024.
Vinicius, who is already in Qatar with Real Madrid for their Intercontinental World Cup campaign, collected the trophy in person. His team had boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony earlier in the year because of their frustration with the result.
Rodri came second in the voting, finishing just five points behind Vinicius. England’s Jude Bellingham, another Real Madrid star, finished in third place.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati was named the Best Women’s Player for the second year in a row, while Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti won the Best Men’s Coach award.
There were other winners as well. Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez won the Best Men’s Goalkeeper award. Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United claimed the Puskas Award for the best goal, following his stunning overhead strike against Everton in November 2023.
