Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has been awarded the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year for 2023-24, following an outstanding season in which he helped his team secure the Champions League, La Liga, and both the Spanish and European Super Cups.

During the season, Vinicius scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists, with standout moments including a crucial goal in the Champions League final and a hat-trick against Barcelona in the domestic Super Cup.

This recognition comes after Vinicius and his Real Madrid teammates chose to snub the Ballon d’Or ceremony in October, having learned that Manchester City’s Rodri would win the award. Reflecting on his journey, Vinicius stated, “It was looking impossible for me to arrive here on this stage… I arrived from a small place, close to poverty and crime. Now I’m here.”

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Rodri finished second in the voting, while Jude Bellingham placed third. The FIFA Best Men’s Player award recognizes achievements from August 21, 2023, to August 10, 2024, with a panel of 11 players nominated and the final votes coming from national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans.

This marks Vinicius’s first major individual award, succeeding Lionel Messi, who won the previous two installments. Notably, Messi was not nominated this year. The award has been presented in its current format since 2016, previously known as the FIFA World Player of the Year.

In addition to Vinicius’s win, Carlo Ancelotti was named Coach of the Year, Emiliano Martinez won Best Goalkeeper, and Alejandro Garnacho received the Puskas Award for his stunning overhead kick against Everton.

The FIFA Best recognition comes amid controversy surrounding the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where Real Madrid officials expressed their anger over Vinicius’s second-place finish. Following the announcement of Rodri as the winner, Madrid chose to abstain from the ceremony, with reports of a significant delegation of around 50 people not attending.

Vinicius had been a favorite for the Ballon d’Or following his pivotal role in Madrid’s achievements, contributing significantly with six goals and four assists in ten Champions League matches and 20 goal involvements in 26 La Liga games. The club expressed their disappointment, stating, “If the criteria of the award do not proclaim Vinicius the winner… it is obvious that the Ballon d’Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid.”

Madrid insiders have reportedly labeled the snub as a “historic robbery,” with sentiments emerging that “the Ballon d’Or no longer exists for us.”