Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi football club Al Nasr, Argentine Lionel Messi from Inter Miami, and Egypt’s Al Ahly along with their coach, Koller, were surpassed in the fan voting for the Globe Soccer Awards, as announced by the organizing committee on Tuesday.
The organizing committee for the Globe Soccer Awards, in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council, revealed that 27 million football enthusiasts worldwide participated in the voting to determine the final lists of nominees for the Dubai awards, scheduled to be presented at a ceremony on January 19.
In an official statement on Tuesday, the committee disclosed that the voting so far has shown significant progress for Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentine Lionel Messi, and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland in the competition for the title of the best player.
The statement added that Portuguese star Ronaldo, the top scorer for Saudi club Al Nasr, topped the final list of candidates for the new award for the best player in the Middle East. He is joined by French player Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad, Algerian Riyad Mahrez, the star of Al Ahly in Saudi Arabia, Salem Al Dawsari from Al Hilal, and Mohamed El-Shenawy, the goalkeeper of the Egyptian club Al Ahly.
The committee explained that this edition will witness a new award for the best club in the Middle East, with nominations including the Egyptian club Al Ahly, which has won the Egyptian Premier League 43 times, in addition to the three Saudi clubs, Al Nasr, Al Ittihad, and Al Hilal, and the Emirati club Shabab Al Ahli.
Swiss coach Marcel Koller of Al Ahly reached the final list of nominees for the best coach, along with Italian Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, Spanish Pep Guardiola, coach of Manchester City, and Italian Luciano Spalletti, who won the Italian Serie A title with Napoli and currently coaches the Italy national team.
Real Madrid, Manchester City, Napoli, and the Brazilian club Fluminense, winners of the Copa Libertadores, attended, along with ten finalists for the best men’s football club.
Additionally, Moroccan star Yassine Bounou, the goalkeeper for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, joins the final list of six nominees for the best goalkeeper, along with Ederson from Manchester City and Thibaut Courtois from Real Madrid.
In conclusion, the Globe Soccer Awards highlight the global recognition of football talent and achievements, with Saudi Arabia playing a prominent role in the nominations and shaping the narrative of excellence in the world of football.
