During the 2024 FIFA The Best Awards, FIFA president Gianni Infantino emphasized that only the football governing body has the authority to determine the best player in the world.
In a subtle dig at the Ballon d’Or, Infantino highlighted FIFA’s unique voting system as the reason for this claim. The rivalry between the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best continues to be a topic of discussion in the football world.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior was crowned the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year for 2024 at the event. The Ballon d’Or, organized by France Football and voted on by journalists worldwide, and the FIFA The Best award, which involves votes from fans, current national team coaches and captains, and media representatives, remain two of football’s most prestigious individual honors.
Speaking during the 2024 FIFA The Best award ceremony held in Doha, Qatar, Infantino said, “If you want to know the best in the world, it should be by FIFA. Because everyone votes, it’s transparent, it’s objective, it’s all-inclusive.”
Infantino’s comments come on the back of a controversial 2024 Ballon d’Or gala, which saw Manchester City’s Rodri pip Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. to the award.
