FIFA The Best awards
The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award: Who voted for whom? Full list
Here’s the breakdown of the votes for FIFA’s ‘The Best’ award for the top male footballer of 2024.
Vinicius Jr took home the FIFA award for the best male footballer of 2024, beating teammate Jude Bellingham as well as Manchester City’s Rodri to the prize after another stellar year for Real Madrid that saw him win both LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League.
The Brazilian was pipped, perhaps surprisingly, by Rodri in the Ballon d’Or race earlier in the year, with the vote going the way of the Spaniard in dramatic circumstances.
As such, this award must have felt good for the forward, who adds another trophy to his cabinet and cements his status at the top of the world game.
Here’s which players voted in ‘The Best’:
The vote was split between coaches, players and fans, with Vini Jr coming out on top.
Of the captains, ex-Real Madrid man Martin Ødegaard, along with Liverpool pair Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah all voted for Vinicius Jr.
However, Harry Kane, Heung Min Son and Joshua Kimmich all voted for Rodri.
Lionel Messi got top votes from Italy, Gibraltar, Chile and Samoa, with Fede Valverde and Florian Wirtz getting one vote each.
Which coaches voted for Vinicius Jr for ‘The Best?
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino went: Lionel Messi, Rodri, Vini Jr while Jesse March picked Erling Haaland as his number one.
Spain’s Euro 2024-winning manager Luis de la Fuente went for Dani Carvajal ahead of Rodri and Lamine Yamal.
There weren’t really any left-field choices from the coaches, with Wirtz, Valverde, Messi and Carvajal all getting into plenty of top 3 votes.
As for the media votes, they didn’t throw up any major surprises, with the USA’s Douglas McIntyre going Bellingham, Rodri and Vini Jr.
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