Real Madrid‘s Vinicius Junior secured the FIFA Best men’s player award in Doha on Tuesday. Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati claimed the women’s prize for the second time.
The award follows Vinicius’ second-place finish in the Ballon d’Or two months prior. Real Madrid had chosen not to attend that ceremony. They had learned in advance that Manchester City’s Rodri would win.
The 24-year-old Brazilian personally accepted the FIFA award in Qatar. He is there with his club for the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexico’s Pachuca.
“Thank you very much. I don’t know where to start. It was impossible to think of getting here. I grew up in a world of poverty, of organised crime. It’s for all the children who grow up in that world. I thank everyone who voted for me,” Vinicius said on stage.
“(Thank you) To my family, to the club, to my teammates, to Carletto (Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti), who always helps me.
“To everyone who helped make my dream come true. I hope to be at Madrid for many years, because it is the best club in the world. To Flamengo (his first club in Brazil). To my team-mates in my national team. And to my country, which always supports me in my work.”
Vinicius succeeds Lionel Messi, who won the previous two FIFA Best men’s player awards.
Last season, Vinicius contributed 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions. He helped Real Madrid achieve a La Liga and Champions League double.
Vinicius secured his third La Liga title in May. He then won his second Champions League trophy on June 1st when Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0.
Vinicius scored a crucial goal in the final minutes at Wembley, securing the victory for Real Madrid.
While Jude Bellingham sometimes overshadowed Vinicius in La Liga, Vinicius became Real Madrid’s key player in crucial European matches.
Vinicius led the Champions League winners in scoring with six goals. This included his goal in the final and two goals in the semi-final win against Bayern Munich.
He also scored a hat-trick in the Supercopa final against Barcelona, resulting in a 4-1 victory in January.
Vinicius’ Copa America experience with Brazil’s national team over the summer was less successful.
Despite scoring two goals against Paraguay in the group stage, his team was eliminated by Uruguay in the quarter-finals on penalties.
Aitana Bonmati, the 26-year-old Spanish midfielder, received the Best women’s player award for the second consecutive year. This adds to her two Ballon d’Or awards.
“I’m grateful, I’m proud to receive this award,” Bonmati said via video link from Barcelona’s Olympic stadium.
Bonmati led Barcelona to an unprecedented continental quadruple of titles last season. She also won the Nations League with the Spanish national team.
In the 2023/24 season, Bonmati won every possible club trophy. These included the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de Espana, and her second consecutive Women’s Champions League title.
Bonmati delivered a player-of-the-match performance in the Champions League final against Lyon, scoring a goal in Barcelona’s 2-0 victory. This secured Barcelona’s third Champions League title in four seasons.
