Only FIFA can determine best player in the world – Infantino

FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has said that only the leading football body has the capacity to determine who is the best player in the world.

The football was apparently taking a dig at the Ballon d’Or during the 2024 FIFA The Best Awards on Tuesday night.

He claimed that the football governing body should be the body that decides the best player in the world because of its peculiar voting system.

The Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best are two of football’s highly coveted individual awards.

Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid was on Tuesday named the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year for 2024.

Vinicius Jr wins FIFA Best Award after losing Ballon d’Or to Rodri

The Ballon d’Or is organized by France Football and voted for by top journalists across the world.

The Best award meanwhile, is handled by FIFA, while votes are cast by fans, the current captains and coaches of all women’s/men’s national teams, and media representatives.

Speaking during the 2024 FIFA The Best award ceremony held in Doha, Qatar, Infantino said, “If you want to know the best in the world, it should be by FIFA. Because everyone votes, it’s transparent, it’s objective, it’s all-inclusive.”

Infantino’s comments come on the back of a controversial 2024 Ballon d’Or gala, which saw Manchester City’s Rodri pip Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. to the award.

Only FIFA can determine best player in the world – Infantino