Vinicius Junior has been named The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2024 after a stellar year with Real Madrid.
The Brazilian forward, who was controversially overlooked for the Ballon d’Or, received well-deserved recognition at FIFA’s prestigious awards ceremony.
Vinicius played a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s success during the 2023/24 season, helping the club secure both the Champions League and La Liga titles. He scored 24 goals across all competitions and has already added 13 goals to his tally in the current season. His most memorable performance came in the Champions League final, where he scored the decisive second goal in Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, securing their record-extending 15th European title.
This is Vinicius’ first FIFA award since its inception in 2016, making him the first Brazilian to win the honour. Neymar came closest to the title, finishing third in 2017.
The shortlist for the award included top players like Manchester City’s Rodri and Erling Haaland, but neither could surpass Vinicius. Real Madrid dominated the nominations, with Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Dani Carvajal, Federico Valverde, and Kylian Mbappé also in the running.
Other notable winners included Emiliano Martinez, who was named Best Men’s Goalkeeper, Carlo Ancelotti, who claimed Best Men’s Coach, and Aitana Bonmati, who was named Best Women’s Player. The FIFA Puskás Award was presented to Alejandro Garnacho.
