The Brazilian Vinícius Júnior, player for Real Madrid, won the FIFA award for best player in the world in 2024. The award ceremony took place on Tuesday afternoon (17) in Doha, Qatar. This is the first time Vini Jr. has received the “The Best” award granted by the governing body of the sport.
In his speech, the player recalled Flamengo, the club where he was revealed, and also thanked his teammates from the Brazilian National Team and the Spanish club, where he has played since the second half of 2018.
“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, Mister Carleto [Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid], and my team, who made me get here and believe that I could make a difference and do great things with them.”
The star of the Brazilian National Team and Real Madrid had the most spectacular season of his career in 2023/24. He was consistently a key player in decisive moments for Real Madrid, scoring 24 goals in 39 matches across various competitions.
Vini Jr. received 48 points in the voting, which was conducted by coaches and captains of national teams, journalists, and fans. In second place was the Spaniard Rodri, with 43 points. The English midfielder Jude Bellingham came in third, with 37 points.
Brazil has once again the best player in the world after 17 years. The last time was in 2007, when Kaká was awarded. However, this is the first time a Brazilian has won the award in the “The Best” era, created by FIFA in 2016. Previously, the award had another name and was sometimes shared with the “Ballon d’Or,” awarded by the French magazine France Football.
Source: Agência Brasil