The 2019 FIFA ‘The Best’ football award winners were announced in ten different categories on Monday evening in a star-studded ceremony in Milan’s famous opera house La Scala, Italy.
Lionel Messi and Jurgen Klopp took home the leading honours for The Best FIFA Men’s Player and Men’s Coach respectively, after their outstanding 2018/19 campaigns which saw both scoop silverware and individual accolades galore.
It was a bumper year for the USA as Megan Rapinoe and Jill Ellis were rewarded for their part in the Stars and Stripes’ triumph at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 as The Best FIFA Women’s Player and Women’s Coach respectively.
Sari van Veenendaal was named the inaugural The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper, joining her custodian counterpart Alisson who picked up The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper award.
The FIFA Fair Play Award was taken home by Marcelo Bielsa and the Leeds United squad, after the Argentinean coach and his team ultimately sacrificed promotion for his team to uphold the values of fair play – instructing his Leeds United team to allow an equaliser after his side had gone 1-0 up with an opposition player down injured.
Uganda National team captain Denis Onyango voted for Virgil van Dijk in first, Mohamed Salah in second and Frenkie De Jong in third for the player of the year award.
Interim head Coach Abdallah Mubiru voted for Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi in first, second and third respectively.
The award was decided by national team coaches and captains, select members of the media and online voting.
Messi received 46 points overall, Van Dijk came second with 38 points and Ronaldo at third with 36 points.
The Best, in full:
Men’s Player: Lionel Messi
Women’s Player: Megan Rapinoe
Men’s Coach: Jurgen Klopp
Women’s Coach: Jill Ellis
Men’s Goalkeeper: Alisson
Women’s Goalkeeper: Sari van Veenendaal
Puskás Award: Daniel Zsori
Fan Award: Silvia Grecco
Fair Play Award: Marcelo Bielsa
Men’s World11: Alisson; Matthijs de Ligt, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Virgil van Dijk; Frenkie de Jong, Eden Hazard, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi
Women’s World11: Sari van Veenendaal; Lucy Bronze, Nilla Fischer, Kelley O’Hara, Wendie Renard; Julie Ertz, Amandine Henry, Rose Lavelle; Marta, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe
