Dubai: Seven LaLiga stars, including Real Madrid trio Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Rodri, and legendary duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are among the star-studded list of nominees for top individual accolades at the annual Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, which will take place alongside the 19th Dubai International Sports Conference in partnership and support with Dubai Sports Council, on December 27.
With worldwide voting for the 15th edition of the star-studded awards open across all 12 main categories from Thursday, with Haaland, the reigning Best Men’s Player, competing with Mbappe, Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane for the same award this year.
The Norwegian is also a contender in the Best Forward category, where Chelsea sensation Cole Palmer, scorer of seven goals in 11 Premier League appearances already this season, is also among the nominees. The Englishman also features in the Best Midfielder list alongside Bellingham, Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella, and FC Barcelona and Spain star Dani Olmo.
The Best Women’s Player category includes Spain’s World Cup winning duo Aitana Bonmatí and Salma Paralluelo and Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen. In the running for the highly coveted Best Men’s Club are Spanish giants Real Madrid, reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, and 10 further continental or domestic champions from three continents.
After more than 30 years without silverware, a remarkable 2023/2024 campaign saw Leverkusen win their first Bundesliga title and their second DFB Pokal, becoming the first German team to win the league or domestic double unbeaten, while setting a new European record of 51 games in a row without defeat across all competitions. Unsurprisingly, Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is named on the nine-man shortlist for Best Coach which also includes Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti. Meanwhile, FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich are part of a five-team shortlist contesting the Best Women’s Club.
Last year’s Dubai Globe Soccer Awards attracted a record-breaking 70 million votes from more than 225 countries and territories, reaffirming its global reach and impact. Fans have until December 10 to vote for their favourites online at vote.globesoccer.com, with the final winners determined by a combination of fan votes and the Globe Soccer Jury, made up of legendary names such as Marcello Lippi, Francesco Totti, Iker Casillas and Luis Figo.
Pivotal role
Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said: “We are very excited for the 15th Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, which has evolved from being one of the leading events in the UAE sporting calendar into a major highlight on the global football calendar. The 19th Dubai International Sports Conference coupled with the awards ceremony play a pivotal role in uniting the game’s most influential figures and fostering the development of the sport globally. We look forward to recognising the achievements of players, coaches and international decision makers in Dubai this December.”
Tommaso Bendoni, Founder and CEO of Globe Soccer Dubai, said: “We are honoured to bring the world’s premier football stars and talent to Dubai for the 15th Dubai Globe Soccer Awards. We thank Dubai Sports Council for their continued support and commitment to elevate Dubai’s deep connection to football. We look forward to celebrating with the biggest names in world football once again in December.”
