Vinicius Jr., the Brazilian forward for Real Madrid, has been awarded the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year for 2024.
The 24-year-old received the prestigious title at a star-studded ceremony in Doha, Qatar, on December 17, 2024. This honor marks a significant achievement in Vinicius’s career, especially after he and his club had previously decided to skip the Ballon d’Or event, where Manchester City’s Rodri claimed the top prize.
Vinicius’s remarkable performance during the 2023-24 season played a major role in his receiving this recognition.
He was instrumental in Real Madrid’s successful campaign, helping the team secure both the Champions League and La Liga titles. Throughout the season, he scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists across all competitions, proving his key importance to the team.
Earlier in the evening, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona was honored with the Women’s Player of the Year award for the second year in a row. Bonmati’s dominance in women’s football continues to be evident as she earned this top recognition once again.
For Vinicius, this is his first FIFA Best award, following in the footsteps of previous winners Lionel Messi, who claimed the prize for two consecutive years, and Robert Lewandowski, who won it twice as well.
The FIFA Best Awards celebrate players’ performances from August 2023 to August 2024, with winners selected through a combination of public votes, journalists’ selections, and votes from national team captains and coaches. Each of these voting groups contributes 25% to the final decision.
