The FIFA The Best award is one of football’s most prestigious honours, given to the player who has been in the best form throughout the year. After Vinícius Júnior won the award, surpassing Jude Bellingham and Rodri, the award has once again become a topic of discussion.
The Beginning of the FIFA The Best Award
FIFA, the highest governing body of football, introduced this award in 1991. At that time, it was named the “FIFA World Player of the Year.” However, from 2010 to 2015, it was combined with the Ballon d’Or and was known as the “FIFA Ballon d’Or.” Since 2016, it has been awarded under its current name, “The Best.”
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Since its inception in 1991, Lionel Messi has won this award a record eight times— in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2022, and most recently in 2023. His closest competitor is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won it five times in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. Together, these two legends have contended the award a total of 13 times— a feat unmatched in football history.
How the Award is Decided
The award honours the best male and female players, coaches, and goalkeepers each year. The nomination, selection, and voting process involves multiple stages and criteria before determining the winners.
Initially, FIFA gathers data from its affiliated organizations to create a preliminary list of candidates. From this, FIFA forms separate panels for men’s and women’s football, consisting of renowned former players and coaches, who then finalize a shortlist based on players’ performances throughout the year.
Rules for Voting
A voter can choose up to three players in order of preference—first, second, and third. The player placed first receives 5 points, the second-place player gets 3 points, and the third-place player earns 1 point. The player with the highest total points wins the award.
Voting is conducted by national team coaches, captains, 200 FIFA-selected journalists, and the general public. Fans can vote online. Each of these four voting groups contributes equally, with each accounting for 25% of the final tally.
According to Rule 12 of FIFA The Best’s “Rules of Allocation,” if two players have the same total points, the one who has received the most first-choice votes (5-point votes) from national team captains will be ranked higher.
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