With the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony done and dusted, the soccer world is turning its attention to the FIFA The Best Football Awards.
After FIFA broke away from France Football, who presents the annual Ballon d’Or awards, the governing body created its own soccer honors for the sport’s top players and coaches. The first FIFA The Best Football Awards unfolded in 2017 and saw Cristiano Ronaldo and Carli Lloyd win The Best FIFA Men’s Player and The Best FIFA Women’s Player awards respectively.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, the winners of the FIFA The Best Football Awards are voted on by national team coaches and captains, as well as expert journalists and fans. Although the awards do not carry the same weight as the Ballon d’Or awards, they still are a great way to honor those at the top of their game.
After the controversy that surrounded Manchester City’s Rodri taking home the 2024 Ballon d’Or over Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, all eyes are on this year’s FIFA The Best Football Awards.
The 2024 FIFA The Best Football Awards will unfold in January 2025. An exact date has not been announced. The awards will go to the players that excelled from Jan. 2024 to Dec. 2024. The full calendar year is taken into account when voting for the next winners of The Best FIFA Men’s Player and The Best FIFA Women’s Player awards.
FIFA also awards the best men’s and women’s goalkeepers as well as the best men’s and women’s coaches. Additionally, FIFA constructs the FIFA FIFPRO World XI, featuring a combined XI of the best players in the world.
Stay tuned for a definitive date for the awards over the next two months.
Check out the full list of nominees for this year’s awards here.
