Aitana Bonmatí and Vinicius Jr. were awarded this Tuesday as the best footballers of the year at the FIFA The Best 2024 gala. The event took place in Doha, where the final of the Intercontinental Cup will be held this Wednesday, and, due to the tight schedule, Gianni Infantino decided to present the awards via telematics, although the 'merengue' delegation and the nominees from Barça Femení were present to receive their awards.
In the women's category, the culés dominated the ideal XI of the year with up to six players. Irene Paredes, Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Aitana, Caroline Graham Hansen, and Salma Paralluelo were the awarded footballers, in a lineup that also included Naeher, Bronze (former Barça), Girma, and Horan.
Additionally, the Brazilian legend, Marta, won the award named after her (for the best goal of the year), while Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars/United States) took home the award for best goalkeeper. Meanwhile, the U.S. coach, Emma Hayes, was chosen as the best coach of 2024.
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
|
Best goalkeeper of the year |
Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars/USA) |
| Best coatch | Emma Hayes (USA) |
|
Best goal of the year |
Marta Vieira da Silva(Orlando Pride/Brazil) |
| Best player of the year | Aitana Bonmatí (FC Barcelona/Spain) |
| FIFA WOMEN'S XI | Naeher; Bronze, Girma, Paredes, Batlle; Portilho, Guijarro, Horan, Bonamtí; Graham Hansen y Paralluelo. |
Lamine Yamal also received his distinction at FIFA The Best
In the men's category, Real Madrid took home the most important awards. Besides 'Vini', Carlo Ancelotti received the award for best coach and a total of five 'merengue' players made it into the ideal XI (Carvajal, Rudiger, Kroos, Bellingham, and Vinicius); an alignment that also featured Lamine Yamal.
The winger from Barça, fifth in the voting for best player, became the youngest footballer to be selected as part of the FIFA team of the year. The other awards of the day went to Argentine players, with Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) winning the trophy for best goal and Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez (Aston Villa) receiving the award for best goalkeeper.
| Category | Winners |
|---|---|
| Best goalkeeper of the year | Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez (Aston Villa/Argentina) |
| Best coatch | Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid/Italy) |
| Best goal of the year | Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United/Argentina) |
| Best player of the year | Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid/Brazil) |
| FIFA MEN'S XI | Martínez, Carvajal, Rüdiger, Ruben Dias, Saliba; Bellingham, Rodri, Kroos; Lamine, Haaland y Vinicius |
Other awards presented during the day:
- FIFA The Best Fair Play Award: Thiago Maia (Internacional de Porto Alegre/Brazil).
- FIFA The Best Award for Best Fans: Guilherme Gandra Moura (fantastic Brazilian boy from Vasco Da Gama).