Vinicius Junior Wins 2024 Best FIFA Men’s Player Award

Vinicius Junior has won The Best FIFA Men’s Player award for 2024 following an exceptional calendar year for the Real Madrid superstar.

The Brazilian faced a controversial snub for the Ballon d’Or in October.

However, FIFA has recognized his remarkable achievements on awards night, naming him the best of the best following some outstanding performances for both club and country.

Vinicius won the Champions League and La Liga over the course of the year, providing 24 goals in all competitions during an immensely successful 2023/24 season.

He’s picked up from where he left off this campaign, adding a further 13 goals to his Real Madrid tally thus far.

The pinnacle of a spectacular year occurred in the Champions League final in June, where Vinicius scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, helping Los Blancos secure their record-extending 15th title.

This is the first time that Vinicius has won the prize, awarded since 2016, and he’s the only Brazilian to have so far claimed the accolade. Neymar previously came closest, finishing third in 2017.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric are the only other Real Madrid players to have won the FIFA award, while Lionel Messi claimed the title in 2023 in a somewhat controversial decision.

Despite beating Vinicius to the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Manchester City midfielder Rodri was one of ten nominees who failed to claim The Best FIFA Men’s Player award. The Spaniard’s club teammate Erling Haaland was also among the nominees who didn’t win.

Real Madrid had five other candidates for the accolade, including the now-retired Toni Kroos. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Carvajal, and Federico Valverde were also featured on the shortlist.