Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior was named The Best FIFA Men’s Player of 2024, just two months after controversially losing out on the Ballon d’Or.
Vinicius scored 24 goals to help lead Madrid to Champions League and La Liga success last season, including the second goal of their 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the European final. He beat fellow Madrid stars Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Federico Valverde, Kylian Mbappe and recently retired Toni Kroos to the award, as well as Lionel Messi, Rodri, Erling Haaland, Florian Wirtz and Lamine Yamal.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Brazilian will feel vindicated after the fallout that surrounded the Ballon d’Or in October. The Madrid players and staff refused to attend the ceremony after news broke that Manchester City’s Rodri was the winner instead of the 24-year-old. The Brazil star spoke out shortly after the ceremony with a defiant message, posting on social media: “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.”
WHAT VINICIUS SAID
Vinicius held himself up as an example to children around the world as he accepted the prize, saying: “It was so far away that it seemed impossible to get here. I was a kid who only played soccer barefoot on the streets of Sao Goncalo, near crime. Being able to get here is very important to me. I am doing this for many children who think it is impossible, but who can get here. I would like to thank my family, who gave up their dream to live it for me. Now, I would like to thank my team, who helped me get here. I want to continue playing for Real Madrid for a long time, which is the biggest club in the world. I couldn’t forget to thank Flamengo, who saw me on the fields and on the streets. I couldn’t get here without Flamengo.”
WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS?
The forward will look to add another trophy to his collection this week when Madrid take on Pachuca in the Intercontinental Cup final on Wednesday.