Bonmatí and Vinícius Júnior on top of the world at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024
Ancelotti and Hayes voted men and women's coach of the year respectively
Spain’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 winner Aitana Bonmatí has been named The Best FIFA Women’s Player and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior has won The Best FIFA Men’s Player at a star-studded The Best FIFA Football Awards™ 2024 ceremony in Doha, Qatar.
Barcelona midfielder Bonmatí was voted The Best FIFA Women’s Player for the second time in a row after the 26-year-old followed up her World Cup-winning year with another trophy-laden 12 months for club and country.
‘I am grateful to receive this award. As I always say, this is a team effort. It was a great year, very difficult to repeat. I am grateful to the people who help me to be better every day, from the club to my teammates, who always help me to be better,’ said Bonmatí.
Bonmatí won a domestic treble and the UEFA Women’s Champions League with the Catalan giants in 2024, as well as the UEFA Women’s Nations League with her national team.
‘It is a pleasure to be here again and to go for more, for more collective titles, which are what make you be here and the most important ones.’
Vinícius Júnior scored Real Madrid’s second goal in the final – one of 24 strikes in 39 competitive club appearances in the 2023-24 season – as the Spanish club claimed a record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League title in June.
He was also part of the Brazil squad that reached the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América quarter-finals in the USA and added the La Liga title, the Supercopa de España and the UEFA Super Cup to the European crown en route to succeeding FIFA World Cup 2022™ winner Lionel Messi as The Best FIFA Men’s Player.
‘I don’t even know where to begin. It was so far away that it seemed impossible to get here. I was a kid who only played football barefoot on the streets of São Gonçalo, close to poverty and crime.
‘Getting here is something very important to me. I’m doing it for many children who think that everything is impossible and who think they can’t get here,’ said the 24-year-old after receiving the award from FIFA President Gianni Infantino ahead of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2024™ final, where Real Madrid will encounter Mexican side CF Pachuca.
“I have to thank everyone who voted for me, all the players, coaches, journalists and my fans. I couldn’t forget to thank my family, who gave up living their dream to live mine. I want to thank the President [of FIFA], Gianni Infantino, Mr. Carleto, and my team who helped me get here and made me believe that I could make a difference and do great things with them.”
Like the two main individual honours, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper awards were decided by a vote equally weighted between fans, the current captains and coaches of all women’s/men’s national teams and media representatives.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who was runner-up two editions ago, was presented with The Best FIFA Men’s Coach award.
Emma Hayes was named The Best FIFA Women’s Coach 2024. Hayes led the US women’s national team to Olympic gold at Paris 2024 just weeks after crowning her 12-year stint at Chelsea with the English domestic league title.
Aston Villa and Argentina keeper Emiliano Martínez came out on top in the vote for The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, winning the award for the second time, following his triumph in the 2022 edition, largely on the back of his major role in his country’s run to 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América glory.
