Vinicius Junior was named FIFA’s Best Player after a Ballon d’Or snub

Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior has been crowned the men’s 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 home this prestigious honor during the ceremony held in Doha.

Vinicius was instrumental in Real Madrid’s successful 2023-24 season, where they won both the Champions League and La Liga titles.

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

Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati also had a night to celebrate, as she retained the Women’s Player of the Year award for the second year running, while Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes were both recognized as the -best coaches of the year.

For Vinicius, it marks his first FIFA Best award and adds a positive highlight to a season that previously included a boycott of the Ballon d’Or in October.

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

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 17, 2024

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

Lionel Messi had won the FIFA Best award the previous two years, with Robert Lewandowski winning the previous two years.

This year’s award, which recognized the performances from August 2023 to August 2024, was determined through a voting process divided equally between four groups: public supporters, journalists (one for each country ), and the captains and managers of the national teams. The vote of each group accounted for 25% of the final decision.

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

The 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 one Barcelona representative.

The full lineup included:

• Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
• Defenders: Ruben Dias (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).