Vinicius Jr beats Rodri this time. It is the Brazilian from Real Madrid who wins The Best Fifa 2024, the award reserved for the best player of the year, reversing the outcome of the Ballon d’Or, in which he surprisingly won – not without controversy on the part of striker and his club – the Manchester City midfielder, now injured and the deciding factor in the crisis of Guardiola’s boys. In Doha, Qatar, the green and gold champion won this coveted award for the first time and it was announced by the president of the highest football body, Gianni Infantino. Vinicius can thus partially erase the bitter disappointment of a few weeks ago.
His coach, Carlo Ancelotti – and who else – won the award as best coach of 2024. The Italian coach of Real Madrid raised the Champions League to the skies in June and tomorrow, in Doha himself, he will try to win the new Intercontinental Cup with the blancos: “It is a great honor to receive this award, I want to share it with my club Real Madrid and my president Florentino Perez who gave me the opportunity to coach the best club in the world. But I also want to share it with my players who don’t always listen to me. I also thank my family and my staff”said the Merengues coach as he went on stage in Doha, where Arsene Wenger awarded him.
CONFIRMATION FOR DIBU, GARNACHO BEATS DIMARCO
Instead it is the Argentine Emiliano Martinez, as already happened at the Ballon d’Or, the best goalkeeper of the year. This was announced by Gigi Buffon, special guest, who pronounced the name of the goalkeeper of Aston Villa and the Argentina national team. The 1992 born player beat the competition of the best goalkeepers in the world, in particular that of Milan’s Mike Maignan and the Italian Gigio Donnarumma.
As for special individual awards, it goes to Argentine Alejandro Grenache the 2024 Puskas Award, awarded to the best goal of the year. The talent born in 2024 owned by Manchester United also overcame the competition of Federico Dimarco, who was a candidate for the goal scored from fifty meters against Frosinone. The goal that allows the Red Devils winger to win this award was scored on November 26, 2023 in the Premier League match away against Everton, that splendid overhead kick that silenced him.
THE WOMEN’S AWARDS IN DOHA
Spanish striker Aitana Bonmati, star of Barcelona and Spain, won the award as best player of 2024, completing her personal double after also triumphing at the Ballon d’Or. A curiosity regarding the best goal in women’s football: the Marta Award, named this year after the formidable Brazilian player, was won by the same footballer who lends her name to the award. Alyssa Naeher, goalkeeper of the United States, won the award as the best extreme defender of last season, while the best coach of the year for the voters is the English Emma Hayes, currently managing Chelsea.
HOW FIFA THE BEST WORKS AND WHO VOTES
The award, now in its ninth edition, celebrates the best players and coaches of the season in different categories. The Dubai gala rewarded the best players for each position, and therefore goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and attackers, and coaches, in the male and female categories. Furthermore, the winners of the most beautiful goal were recognized with the Fifa Puskás Award (men’s ) and the Fifa Marta Award (female), as well as the Fifa Fan Award and the Fifa Fair Play Award. The jury is made up of fans, national team coaches, journalists and team captains.
WHO WERE ALL THE ITALIAN CANDIDATES
Italy was represented by several candidates: among those who play in Serie A, the Frenchman from Milan, Mike Maignan, was in the running for the best goalkeeper award, while Federico Dimarco, full-back for Inter and the national team, was as mentioned in race for the Fifa Puskás Award for the goal scored from midfield against Frosinone. The only Italian woman nominated was Giuseppina Moraca, nominated for the Fifa Marta Award for her extraordinary goal against Bologna. An Italian, Gigio Donnarumma, was nominated for the best goalkeeper award, while Carlo Ancelotti was in the running for the best manager of the year.
