Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has finally clinched a significant global player award on Tuesday. Júnior was honored as the men’s player of the year at FIFA’s “The Best” awards, while Aitana Bonmatí from Barcelona maintained her dominance in women’s soccer by winning the respective award.

Vinícius expressed great disappointment after missing out to Rodri for the Ballon d’Or award in October. In protest, he and his Madrid teammates abstained from the Paris ceremony.

Despite this setback, Júnior traveled to Doha on Monday for the Intercontinental Cup final against Pachuca, where he attended the FIFA ceremony to receive his award.

Bonmatí, on the other hand, made history by winning the award for best women’s player of the year. This marks her second consecutive triumph at FIFA’s version of the prestigious Ballon d’Or prize, after achieving victory in the Spanish league, cup, and Champions League with Barcelona in 2024.