Vinicius takes his revenge and wins The Best 2024 Prize

Vinicius redeemed himself and wins The Best 2024 Prize

The long-awaited solution regarding the prestigious The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 was found. In Doha, in the wake of the debates which agitated Spain following the Ballon d’Or, it was finally the Brazilian Vinicius Junior who was rewarded.

The winger of Real Madrid is thus crowned the best player in the world according to FIFA criteria. This title reflects a season where Vinicius played a crucial role in the club’s victories in La Liga, Champions League and European Super Cup. During this campaign, he particularly distinguished himself in the Champions League, scoring decisive goals. In particular, he scored a capital goal against the Leipzig in the round of 16, two others in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich and finally the one that sealed the 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley. During this year 2024, he shared the lead in Champions League scorers with Lewandowski, Raphinha and Kaneeach totaling nine goals.

During this major event broadcast mainly remotely, Vinicius expressed his gratitude: “Thank you very much. It’s incredible to be here. I grew up in an environment of poverty and crime. This award is for all children living in such circumstances. I would like to thank everyone who supported me, my family, my club, my teammates, and Carlettowho always helps me. I hope to stay at Madrid for many years, because it is the best club in the world. Thank you to Flamengo, to my teammates in the selection, and to my country which always supports me in my fight. »

This award makes Vinicius the ninth recipient of a trophy created in 2016. He is the fifth footballer to receive this distinction, after three victories in Lionel Messi (2019, 2022 and 2023) and two Cristiano Ronaldo (2016 and 2017), as well as Lewandowski (2021 and 2022), while Luka Modric was awarded in 2018. Vinicius thus adds a new name and a new nationality to this list.

Previously, from 1991 to 2009, this award was known as the FIFA Player of the Year, with Zidane as the most successful, posting three victories. Between 2010 and 2015, the FIFA award and the Ballon d’Or were merged, with a limited number of winners, highlighting four titles for Messi and two for Cristiano.

The voting system is evenly distributed between four groups: media representatives, national team coaches, captains of FIFA-affiliated teams and public voting. “A clear and transparent process,” underlined FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the presentation of the award.