Vinicius Jr and Aitana Bonmati were on top of the world after their triumphs at The Best FIFA Football Awards™ 2024 – but who voted for them as the winners of The Best Men’s and Women’s Player prizes?
These six awards were voted for by national team coaches and captains, as well as expert media members and fans on FIFA.com, with the winners revealed at a gala dinner in Doha, Qatar, on 17 December.
Emiliano Martinez and Alyssa Naeher won the goalkeeping prizes, while Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes took the coaching honours.
The Best FIFA Men’s Player
Winner: Vinicius Jr (48 points)
Second: Rodri (43 points)
Third: Jude Bellingham (37 points)
Vinicius Jr was named The Best FIFA Men’s Player for the first time with the support of his fellow professionals and football fans around the globe allowing him to top the podium ahead of nearest challenger Rodri. The Brazil and Real Madrid man had the backing of compatriots Danilo and Dorival Junior as their first choice, while Argentina skipper Lionel Messi had him in third place behind Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.
The Best FIFA Women’s Player
Winner: Aitana Bonmati (52 points)
Second: Barbra Banda (39 points)
Third: Caroline Graham Hansen (37 points)
Spain international Bonmati retained the award she won for 2023 in style, dominating all four voting categories and gathering more than twice as many fan voting points as both her podium finishers combined. The global support for her achievements saw her backed by multiple captains from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
Winner: Emiliano Martinez (26 points)
Second: Ederson (16 points)
Third: Unai Simon (13 points)
Argentina international Martinez regained the award he first won in 2022 with greater support than his fellow podium finishers in all four of the scoring categories. Both Lionel Scaloni and Lionel Messi backed their compatriot, while Colombia’s Nestor Lorenzo and James Rodriguez, who were defeated by Martinez and Co in the 2024 Copa America final, ranked him first and third respectively.
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
Winner: Alyssa Naeher (26 points)
Second: Cata Coll (22 points)
Third: Mary Earps (11 points)
USA goalkeeper Naeher unsurprisingly received the support of her captain Lindsey Horan and coach Emma Hayes in the voting. She was also backed by Brazil’s Marta and Arthur Elias, with the duo having witnessed her abilities first-hand as she kept a clean sheet in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament final which USA won 1-0 against the South American side.
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Winner: Carlo Ancelotti (26 points)
Second: Xabi Alonso (22 points)
Third: Luis de la Fuente (11 points)
Given the silverware he has gathered throughout a stellar career, it could cause a raised eyebrow that this is the first time which Ancelotti has been honoured as The Best FIFA Men’s Coach. Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma had his compatriot as first choice, while national team coach Luciano Spalletti ranked him second, behind Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach
Winner: Emma Hayes (23 points)
Second: Jonatan Giraldez (20 points)
Third: Arthur Elias (13 points)
Hayes came out on top against her fellow podium finishers in part by gathering the most points from the votes of the international captains, coaches and media from around the world. USA skipper Lindsay Horan voted for Hayes, as did England captain Leah Williamson and coach Sarina Wiegman, who had claimed the honour herself in three of the past four years.
The FIFA Puskás Award
Winner: Alejandro Garnacho (26 points)
Second: Yassine Benzia (22 points)
Third: Denis Omedi (16 points)
The FIFA Marta Award
Winner: Marta (22 points)
Second: Asisat Oshoala (20 points)
Third: Sakina Karchaoui (16 points)
The FIFA Fan Award
Winner: Guilherme Gandra Moura
The FIFA Fair Play Award
Winner: Thiago Maia
Source: norvanreports.com