Welcome to the end-of-year awards! From best players and best teams in the men’s and women’s game to the best celebration of the year, I’ll reveal my winners from 2024.
A reminder that these awards take only the calendar year into consideration. So even though last season plays a factor, these awards mainly pay tribute to performances and achievements over this calendar year.
Now let’s begin.
Men’s player of the year: Vinícius Júnior, (Real Madrid and Brazil)
This was a tough call because in the first half of the year, Rodri‘s impact for club and country was gargantuan, hence his Ballon d’Or win and why I voted for him as my 2023-24 Premier League player of the season. There’s an argument to make that even in his absence because of an ACL tear, his impact remains. Just look at Man City’s recent struggles.
But I can’t give this annual award to someone who hasn’t played since September. I have to include the entire year and throughout it, I consider individual consistency. It has to be Vinícius: the ultimate big-game player. Jude Bellingham, a Euros finalist, came close but the England midfielder’s contributions to Real Madrid came early in the 2023-24 season. Lautaro Martínez also deserves a major mention. But it has to be…
