Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid has been crowned the FIFA World Player of the Year 2024. The Brazilian was honored on Tuesday evening in Doha by the FIFA, outperforming, among others, the German nominees Florian Wirtz and Toni Kroos.
Emiliano Martinez of Argentina was recognized as the best goalkeeper. Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid was named the Coach of the Year for a men’s team. Aitana Bonmati of FC Barcelona was elected the World Women’s Footballer of the Year for the second year in a row. Alyssa Naeher of the Chicago Red Stars was chosen as the World Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, with the German nominee Ann-Katrin Berger being left out. Emma Hayes, the coach of the US women’s national team, was named the Coach of the Year for a women’s team.
The basis of the awards is the performance of the players in the period between August 21, 2023, and August 10, 2024, including the EM 2024 and the Olympic Games. The FIFA held the “The Best”-Awards a little earlier, as the usual time in January apparently had no free time in the calendar.