The FIFA The Best Awards gala was held this Tuesday, celebrating the top performers in men’s and women’s football. Vinicius Jr. claimed the prestigious award in the men’s category, while Aitana Bonmatí earned the honour in the women’s.
The voting process for these awards involved contributions from national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans, ensuring a comprehensive selection of the winners.
In the men’s category, the competition between Vinicius and Manchester City’s Rodri was particularly close. In the end, Vinicius emerged victorious with 48 points, narrowly edging out Rodri, who secured 43 points.
Jude Bellingham followed in third place, amassing 37 points. The close nature of the race highlighted the exceptional performances of all three players throughout the year.
A breakdown
The breakdown of votes across different categories revealed interesting patterns. Rodri received the highest number of votes from national team coaches (461) and journalists (543).
Vinicius Jr finally won an individual accolade. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
In contrast, Vinicius garnered fewer votes in these segments, receiving 438 votes from coaches and 538 from media representatives. However, the Brazilian superstar gained an overwhelming majority in the captains’ and fans’ categories.
He secured 617 votes from national team captains and a staggering 1,147,276 votes from fans, showcasing his immense popularity and impact. Rodri, meanwhile, trailed significantly in these areas, with just 373 captain votes and 264,835 fan votes.
Captains who voted for Vinicius
Several prominent captains and coaches cast their votes for the award, and their choices shed light on the players they admired the most.
Croatia’s Luka Modric selected Vinicius, Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal. Egypt’s Mohamed Salah opted for Vinicius, Rodri, and Carvajal. Canada’s Alphonso Davies included Vinicius, Lamine Yamal, and Bellingham in his picks.
Colombia’s James Rodriguez went for Vinicius, Carvajal, and Bellingham, while Austria’s David Alaba and Brazil’s Danilo both ranked Vinicius as their top choice.
Franck Kessie of the Ivory Coast also placed Vinicius first, followed by Carvajal and Rodri. Furthermore, Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic placed Vinicius first, followed by Erling Haaland and Rodri. Norway captain Martin Odegaard also voted for Vinicius.