Chapter 645: A New Era
After a lively opening performance, the FIFA Awards Ceremony officially began. Host Idris Elba took the stage, kicking things off with lighthearted jokes about the newly implemented VAR technology during the summer's World Cup. Following this, a highlight reel transported the audience back to Russia, reliving the exhilarating moments of the World Cup—culminating in Portugal's victory over France in the final.
This sequence set the tone for the evening, emphasizing the importance of the World Cup in shaping this year's awards. For men's football, the evaluation period spanned from August 2017 to the World Cup final on July 15, 2018. For women's football, the period stretched from August 2017 to August 2018.
Given the weight of the World Cup, players' performances during the tournament heavily influenced the final outcomes.
The First Award: Puskás Award
The ceremony began with the presentation of the Puskás Award for the best goal of the year. The ten nominees included Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Denis Cheryshev, Benjamin Pavard, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Riley McGree, Yossi, Ricardo Quaresma, and Mohamed Salah.
Before the winner was announced, co-host Alex Scott interviewed several players and guests, asking for their opinions on the most remarkable goal. Finally, Drogba and actor Liam Gallagher were invited to the stage as presenters.
The winner, as expected, was Mohamed Salah, whose breathtaking goal earned 38% of the votes. Taking the stage, Salah delivered a brief and modest acceptance speech before stepping down. Notably, Salah's stellar season with Liverpool also earned him a place in the top 10 for the World Player of the Year ranking.
Best Coach: Portugal's Triumph
Next was the Best Men's Coach award, where Portugal dominated with two of the three nominees.
The finalists were:
Fernando Santos, coach of Portugal's World Cup-winning squad.José Mourinho, who led Manchester United to an unprecedented six-trophy season, including the Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cups, achieving an unbeaten record across all competitions.
The third finalist, Didier Deschamps, guided France to a World Cup runner-up finish but was seen as a lesser contender compared to the Portuguese duo.
The prestigious honor ultimately went to Fernando Santos, solidifying the World Cup's influence on the voting process. Mourinho's remarkable achievements, including extending Manchester United's unbeaten streak to 78 matches, were not enough to outweigh the significance of World Cup glory.
Best Goalkeeper: De Gea's Dominance
Following this, the Best Goalkeeper award was presented. The nominees were:
Thibaut Courtois, winner of the World Cup Golden Glove.Rui Patrício, Portugal's championship-winning goalkeeper.David de Gea, Manchester United's star keeper.
Presented by former Manchester United legend Edwin van der Sar, the award went to David de Gea. His incredible performances in the Premier League and United's six-trophy campaign cemented his victory.
With 21 clean sheets in the league, De Gea tied the club record set by van der Sar and ranked second in Premier League history, trailing only Petr Čech's 24 clean sheets from the 2004-2005 season.
The moment De Gea accepted the trophy from van der Sar marked a symbolic passing of the torch between two of Manchester United's legendary goalkeepers.
Other Highlights
The night continued with awards for women's football, fan engagement, and young talent.
Best Women's Coach went to Lyon's Reynald Pedros, whose team won the Women's Champions League.Best Fan Award was given to Peruvian fans for their passion during the World Cup.Best Young Player unsurprisingly went to Kylian Mbappé, Bruno's Manchester United teammate.World Women's Player was awarded to Brazilian legend Marta, her sixth win.
Manchester United dominated the Best XI, with De Gea, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, N'Golo Kanté, and Bruno Fernandes making the lineup.
Notably, the forward trio included Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, and Mohamed Salah, leaving Barcelona star Yossi conspicuously absent—an omission that disappointed his fans worldwide.
World Player of the Year: Bruno's Crowning Moment
The final award of the night was the most anticipated: FIFA Men's World Player of the Year. The nominees were:
Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United captain and the driving force behind their six-trophy season and Portugal's World Cup victory.Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal's iconic leader and newly crowned football king.Harry Kane – Bruno's United teammate and one of the world's best strikers.
Though the results were yet to be revealed, it was widely anticipated that Bruno Fernandes would take the honor.
When FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced Bruno's name, the entire theater erupted into applause.
Bruno stepped onto the stage, his face glowing with pride, as he accepted the award that solidified his place among football's immortals.
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