Emma Hayes and Vinicius Jr the big winners at FIFA Best Awards 2024
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United States head coach Emma Hayes was named best women's coach for a second time at The Best FIFA Awards 2024 while Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr was named best men's player. The 48-year-old Hayes guided Chelsea to a fifth successive Women's Super League title last season before leaving to take over the United States and leading them to Olympic gold in Paris.
It is the second time Hayes has won the award after she took the prize in 2021. She reclaims the title from England boss Sarina Wiegman, who won it in 2022 and 2023. And it completes a year to remember for Hayes after she was also awarded the Ballon d'Or for women's coach of the year in October.
She fought off competition from the likes of Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor and her Chelsea successor Sonia Bompastor to claim the award in Qatar. Brazil star Vinicius and his club Real Madrid failed to turn up at the Ballon d'Or award ceremony in October when he lost out to Manchester City's Rodri, but he picked up his first FIFA award after Lionel Messi took the prize in the previous two years.
Vinicius got his hands on the award after he helped Real win LaLiga and the Champions League in 2023-24 and scored 24 goals in all competitions, with 11 assists. Vinicius reversed the order from the Ballon d'Or, finishing in first place ahead of Rodri, with England's Jude Bellingham third and Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe among those completing the list.
Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez took the prize for goalkeeper of the year after he helped Argentina win the Copa America. He was among five Premier League players included in the men's team of the year alongside Ruben Dias, William Saliba, Rodri and Haaland, with six LaLiga players completing the side including Bellingham.
