Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Jr. has been crowned the Men’s Player of the Year at the FIFA Best Awards, while Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí was named The Best Women's Player of the Year for the second time on Tuesday.
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Vinicius and his club teammates missed out on this year’s October Ballon d'Or ceremony after losing out to Manchester City's Rodri by a narrow margin. The Brazilian received the prestigious honor during the ceremony held in Doha.
Vinicius scored 24 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions to help Real Madrid clinch the La Liga and Champions League double, and he also netted in their Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund.
Vinicius, while receiving the award, presented himself as a role model to children worldwide, stating,
"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."
Bonmati won the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award, retaining her title against Zambia's Barbra Banda and Norway's Caroline Graham Hansen. She also claimed the Women's Ballon d'Or for the second consecutive year in October.
The 26-year-old helped her club to a domestic treble last season in a campaign in which Barca also retained the Champions League, and Bonmati scored in the semi-final and final when Spain won the Nations League in February.
Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas Award for his sensational overhead kick against Everton last November, which was recognized as the goal of the year.
Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Madrid, was named coach of the year after his team won both the Champions League and La Liga last season.
The best women's goalkeeper award was given to Alyssa Naeher of the Chicago Red Stars, while Emiliano Martinez of Argentina and Aston Villa received the men's award.
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