Chapter 745: Winning FIFA World Player of the Year Again
The FIFA Awards ceremony opened with a beautiful ballet performance, setting an elegant tone for the evening.
1st Award: Puskás Award
The Puskás Award, celebrating the most beautiful goal of the year, was the first award presented. The final three nominees—Yoichi Yosida, Juan Fernando Quintero, and Dániel Zsóri—were selected by fans worldwide before being judged by a panel of FIFA legends.
Chelsea legend Michael Essien announced Dániel Zsóri as the winner for his breathtaking overhead kick goal for Debrecen against Ferencváros during the 2018–2019 season.
2nd Award: Best Men's Coach
This award was determined by a combination of fan votes, journalists, and the votes of national team coaches and captains.
The finalists were:
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool)José Mourinho (Manchester United)
José Mourinho emerged victorious, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest football managers.
3rd Award: Best Fan Award
This award, decided entirely by fan votes, recognized extraordinary fan dedication. The finalists were:
Silvia GreccoJusto SánchezDutch fans
Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo presented the award to Silvia Grecco for her incredible devotion to narrating football matches live for her blind son.
4th Award: Best Women's Goalkeeper
This newly introduced award celebrated the top female goalkeeper. The finalists were:
Christiane Endler (Chile)Sari van Veenendaal (Netherlands)Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden)
Samuel Eto'o announced Sari van Veenendaal as the winner for her outstanding performances.
5th Award: Fair Play Award
Javier Zanetti presented the Fair Play Award to Leeds United and manager Marcelo Bielsa. The recognition highlighted Bielsa's extraordinary decision to allow Aston Villa to equalize after Leeds had controversially scored while a Villa player was down injured.
6th Award: Best Women's XI
The Best Women's XI included:
Goalkeeper: Sari van VeenendaalDefenders: Lucy Bronze, Nilla Fischer, Kelley O'Hara, Wendie RenardMidfielders: Julie Ertz, Amandine Henry, Rose LavelleForwards: Marta, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan
7th Award: Best Men's Goalkeeper
The finalists for Best Men's Goalkeeper were:
Alisson BeckerEderson MoraesDavid de Gea
Brazilian legend Marta announced David de Gea as the winner. This marked a double victory for De Gea, who also claimed UEFA's Best Goalkeeper award earlier in the year.
8th Award: Best Women's Coach
The finalists were:
Jill Ellis (USA)Phil Neville (England)Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands)
Arsène Wenger presented the award to Jill Ellis for leading the U.S. Women's National Team to their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup triumph.
9th Award: Best Men's XI
The Best Men's XI included:
Goalkeeper: David de GeaDefenders: Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Virgil van Dijk, Luke ShawMidfielders: Luka Modrić, N'Golo Kanté, Bruno FernandesForwards: Yoichi Yosida, Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United dominated the lineup, contributing seven players—further evidence of the club's unprecedented dominance in Europe last season.
With Manchester United's near-total representation in the Best XI, the awards reinforced the club's supremacy in football, showcasing their world-class talent across every position.
After presenting nine awards, the most anticipated moment of the night arrived—the presentation of the FIFA Best Men's Player Award, also known as the FIFA World Player of the Year.
This prestigious award, based on performances from July 16, 2018, to July 19, 2019, was determined through a process involving a shortlist selected by an expert panel, followed by votes from fans, journalists, and the coaches and captains of national teams worldwide.
The finalists for this year's award were:
Yoichi Yosida (Yoichi)Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7)Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Wins the 2019 FIFA Best Men's Player Award
The award was presented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who announced Bruno Fernandes as the winner. Bruno beat out Ronaldo and Yoichi to claim the honor for the second consecutive year.
This marked Bruno's third FIFA Best Player title (including FIFA Ballon d'Or), tying him with Ronaldo Nazário and trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo (5) and Yoichi (4).
Bruno's Historic 2018–2019 Season
In the 2018–2019 season, Bruno had an extraordinary campaign, representing Manchester United in 57 matches, scoring 68 goals, and providing 44 assists—leading the global football stage in both goals and assists.
Premier League: 39 goals, earning him the league's Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe.UEFA Champions League: 18 goals, setting a new single-season record and claiming the UCL Golden Boot.Team Achievements: Under Bruno's leadership, Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, securing the treble for the second consecutive season.
At the international level, Bruno represented Portugal in 8 matches, scoring 7 goals and providing 6 assists, leading them to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League. This marked Portugal's fourth consecutive international tournament triumph following their wins in Euro 2016, the 2017 Confederations Cup, and the 2018 World Cup.
Why Bruno's Win Is Undisputed
Bruno's dominance for both club and country made his victory in the 2019 FIFA Best Men's Player Award a foregone conclusion. Compared to his rivals:
Yoichi: While he scored 47 goals and provided 22 assists in 50 matches for Barcelona (including 36 goals in La Liga), his team achievements were limited to the La Liga title.Cristiano Ronaldo: Scored 21 league goals and 6 Champions League goals while winning Serie A with Juventus, but his individual stats and team success paled in comparison to Bruno's.
Bruno's comprehensive impact on Manchester United and Portugal outshone both Yoichi and Ronaldo, making him the undisputed choice for the award. His FIFA Best Player win is also seen as a strong indicator that he will likely secure the Ballon d'Or later in the year.
FIFA Best Women's Player Award
The final award of the evening was the FIFA Best Women's Player. Based on performances from May 25, 2018, to July 7, 2019, this award followed a similar voting process to the men's award.
The finalists were:
Lucy BronzeAlex MorganMegan Rapinoe
Gianni Infantino announced Megan Rapinoe as the winner. As captain of the U.S. Women's National Team, Rapinoe led her team to victory in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and won the tournament's Golden Boot.
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