Ghana coach, Otto Addo, cast his vote for FIFA The Best Awards by selecting Spain midfielder Rodri as his top choice, followed by Real Madrid stars Jude Bellingham in second place and Vinícius Júnior in third.
On Tuesday, December 17, the prestigious FIFA The Best Awards took place, where Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior was crowned the Best Player of the Year.
The Real Madrid star secured the accolade with significant support from fan votes, which played a decisive role in his victory.
While Rodri gained more votes from coaches and media representatives, Vinícius’ over one million fan votes tipped the scales in his favour.
Vinícius had a standout 2023-24 season, contributing 24 goals and 11 assists as he helped Real Madrid clinch both the Champions League and La Liga titles.
Interestingly, Ghana’s captain at the time, Thomas Partey, did not submit a vote, though the reason remains unclear. Since then, Jordan Ayew has taken over as the captain of the Black Stars.
Vinícius Júnior’s win makes him the first Brazilian to claim the honour since Ronaldinho achieved it in 2005.
In other awards, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was named Women’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive time.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti earned the Coach of the Year award after guiding the team to major success in the Champions League and La Liga.
Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho took home the Puskás Award for Best Goal, thanks to his stunning bicycle kick in a 3-0 victory over Everton in November 2023.
Notably, Mohammed Kudus’ brilliant solo goal for West Ham in the Europa League match against Freiburg was also among the nominees for the award.
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