Vinícius Júnior has been crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2024 after an extraordinary year for both Real Madrid and Brazil.
The Brazilian forward, who was controversially overlooked for the Ballon d’Or in October, has been rightfully recognized by FIFA for his stellar performances on the global stage. Vinícius played a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s success, helping the club secure both the Champions League and La Liga titles during the 2023/24 season. He contributed 24 goals across all competitions last season and has already added 13 more this campaign.
The crowning moment of his year came in the Champions League final, where he scored the decisive second goal in a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, sealing Real Madrid’s record 15th European title.
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This marks the first time Vinícius has won the prestigious award, which has been presented annually since 2016. He is the only Brazilian to claim the honor, with Neymar coming closest in 2017 as a third-place finisher.
Vinícius now joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić as the only Real Madrid players to win the award, with Lionel Messi taking the prize most recently in 2023.
Notably, despite winning the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Manchester City midfielder Rodri was among the ten nominees who missed out on FIFA’s top accolade. His teammate Erling Haaland also failed to claim the award.
Real Madrid dominated the shortlist, with five other players in contention, including Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Kylian Mbappé, Federico Valverde, and the now-retired Toni Kroos.