A detailed analysis of how coaches and captains cast their votes in the FIFA Best Awards, where Vinicius Jr. emerged as the winner.
FIFA has unveiled the complete voting breakdown for the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award.
On Tuesday evening, Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. was crowned the best male player of 2024, edging out Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, and Lamine Yamal. The Brazilian secured 48 points, surpassing Rodri with 43 and Bellingham with 37.
Lionel Messi, Toni Kroos, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Florian Wirtz, and Federico Valverde completed the top 10 rankings. Following the ceremony, FIFA disclosed how each country’s captain and coach voted.
Some notable votes include:
England captain Harry Kane, who selected Rodri, Bellingham, and Vinicius as his top three.
Croatia captain Luka Modric, who chose his Real Madrid teammates Vinicius, Bellingham, and Carvajal.
Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool, who picked Vinicius first, followed by Rodri and Carvajal.
Spain captain Alvaro Morata, who overlooked Vinicius, opting instead for Carvajal, Rodri, and Yamal.
On the coaches’ side, then-England interim manager Lee Carsley prioritized Bellingham, Rodri, and Yamal, while France coach Didier Deschamps selected Vinicius, Mbappe, and Rodri as his top picks.
In other awards:
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskás Award for the best goal of the year.
Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez was named Goalkeeper of the Year.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti received the Best Coach award.
The FIFA Best Men’s XI for 2024:
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/Argentina)
Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid/Spain), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid/Germany), Ruben Dias (Manchester City/Portugal), William Saliba (Arsenal/France)
Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City/Spain), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/Germany), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England)
Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona/Spain), Erling Haaland (Manchester City/Norway), Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid/Brazil)
