* Fan vote pits Ronaldo against Messi and Haaland as Best Men’s Player shortlist is whittled down to a star-studded XI for January 19 awards at Atlantis, The Palm; Bellingham up for four gongs
* Final round of voting for Globe Soccer Awards, organised in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council, is open now until December 28 (vote.globesoccer.com/) and through official Globe Soccer app
Dubai, UAE – December 12, 2023: Football fans around the world have cast a record 27 million votes to decide the final shortlists for next month’s Dubai Globe Soccer Awards 2023, organised in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council and presented by Nakheel. And ahead of the glittering gala held inside the five-star Atlantis, The Palm, on January 19, some of the fan-selected finalists across the 20 award categories are sure to strike up hot debate – especially the star-studded XI nominated for Best Men’s Player.
The first round of public voting closed on Thursday with organisers confirming old rivalries will be reignited in the Middle East. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the voting for Best Men’s Player, alongside the likes of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham, who is up for a record four awards, including Best Midfielder and Power Horse Emerging Player.
Al Nassr’s 38-year-old Ronaldo led the votes across all three categories in which he was nominated, including Fans’ Favourite Player where he faces competition on a five-man shortlist consisting of Messi, Bellingham, Al Hilal star Neymar, and Liverpool’s talismanic Mohamed Salah. In the all-new Best Middle East Player, the Portuguese forward led a shortlist that includes Al Ittihad’s Karim Benzema, Al-Ahli’s Riyad Mahrez, Al Hilal’s Salem Al-Dawsari, and Mohamed El Shenawy of Al Ahly.
Another new award, Best Middle East Club, sees El Shenawy’s 43-time Egyptian Premier League champions joined by Saudi trio Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Hilal, as well as UAE side Shabab Al Ahli. Ahly’s Swiss manager Marcel Koller led the club to a five-trophy clean sweep in just 10 months, including a record-extending 11th African Champions League.
Unsurprisingly, Koller has been shortlisted as Best Coach alongside the likes of Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, and Napoli’s Serie A winning coach Luciano Spalletti. The respective clubs of all three coaches, as well as Copa Libertadores champions Fluminense of Brazil, are each among the 10 nominations for Best Men’s Club.
Best Women’s Player meanwhile will pit Spain’s World Cup winner Aitana Bonmatí up against, among others, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and Colombia’s Linda Caicedo, as well as a trio of Women’s Super
League stars in Mary Earps (Manchester United), Amanda Ilestedt (Arsenal), and Sam Kerr (Chelsea). Bonmatí’sBarcelona are also up for Best Women’s Club alongside Arsenal, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Roma. Morocco’s Yassine Bounou, who represents Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, features on a six-man shortlist that also includes Man City’s Ederson and Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois for Best Goalkeeper.
Two new Italian-focused categories, Serie A Best Digital Content by a Player and Serie A Best Digital Content by a Club, have also been introduced as part of an exciting new partnership between Globe Soccer and the Italian top tier.These attracted over half a million votes alone, with Roma currently in pole position for a clean sweep as Paulo Dybala leads the way in the former. And while each fan was allowed only one vote on the official website, the official Globe Soccer app drew 757,000 downloads in just two weeks as fans raced to unlock 10 additional votes each.
The second and final round of voting across the 11 main categories and four digital awards, plus the aforementioned Serie A awards, is now open at vote.globesoccer.com with football fans and Globe Soccer’s Official Jury – made up of more than 30 key football industry figures, including Francesco Totti, Iker Casillas, Luis Figo, and Marcello Lippi – involved in the final selection process, which closes on December 28, 2023.
The Best Agent accolade also makes a return, with Ali Barat, Jorge Mendes, and Frank Trimboli on this year’s three-man shortlist. Globe Soccer’s Official Jury will decide the victor, together with Best Sporting Director and Best President.
Globe Soccer is also delighted to welcome new sponsor Italpreziosi, which joins as a Gold sponsor, as well alongside supporting partner Esaad, for the 2023 edition.
The new sponsors will be joining our existing partners Serie A, Al Nabooda Automobiles, Audi, Emirates, Montegrappa, Power Horse, Silversands, and SushiSamba.
Once more, the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards will be broadcast live worldwide, with SSC (Saudi Sports Company) as our official host broadcaster, and accessible via online streaming on various channels. Further announcements and updates ahead of the gala ceremony will be shared on Globe Soccer’s social media channels. The new Globe Soccer app is available for download from the iOS App Store and Google Play by searching for “Globe Soccer”.
About Dubai Sports Council
Founded on November 30, 2005, following a decree by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Sports Council is the official body responsible for the development of the sports sector in the Emirate. Today, under the guidance of its Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the DSC organises and supports more than 400 events annually – not just top-notch sporting extravaganzas, but also awards and conferences that promote excellence, creativity and innovation in the world of sports. The Council supervises the work of Dubai’s seven local sports clubs and takes active interest in encouraging the practice of physical activity in society, especially among women and children, through programs and activities designed to create awareness about the importance of sport and physical activity, and to make it a way of life for the community.
The DSC’s mandate, though, is not just to promote sport, create awareness and nurture talent, but to also support creativity and reward excellence, among both individuals and organisations and help Dubai become a land of health, happiness and vitality. It has organised many international conferences and symposiums since 2006, including the annual Dubai International Sports Conference, to enhance the knowledge and culture of professionalism, and has brought some of the biggest names from the world of sports here to share their vision and thoughts. The Council also seeks to develop the sports industry in the UAE and the world through initiatives like the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, and it organises many major international sports championships as well in cooperation with multiple sports bodies.
About Globe Soccer
Founded by Tommaso Bendoni and co-owned by Riccardo Silva, Globe Soccer is a Dubai-based football organisation that since 2010 has coordinated one of the most eagerly awaited and coveted awards ceremonies on the footballing calendar: The Dubai Globe Soccer Awards. Attracting high-profile attendees each year, the international event is unique in that it recognises and rewards all stakeholders in the game, from players to chairmen, fans to agents, directors to referees. Global reach has grown year-on-year, with the 2022 event proving no exception, surpassing all previous records with the number of awards increasing to 21, fan votes exceeding 47 million, and social media followers passing 6.5 million.
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