VINICIUS JR AND AITANA BONMATI WIN FIFA THE BEST PLAYER AWARDS – Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes win coaching prizes.
Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was named FIFA men’s player of the year in Doha on Tuesday (December 17), with Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati winning the women’s award for the second year in a row.
Vinicius scored 24 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions to help Real Madrid clinch the LaLiga and Champions League double, and he also netted in their Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund. The Brazilian won the award ahead of Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri and his teammate at Real, England’s Jude Bellingham.
The 24-year-old, who narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or to Rodri in October, was in Doha to collect the award, with Real in Qatar for Wednesday’s (December 18) FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexico’s Pachuca.
Bonmati retained the FIFA women’s player of the year award ahead of Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen, having also won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second consecutive year in October.
