Ronaldo, Messi among world’s best nominated for Dubai Globe Soccer Awards

The beating heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Al Wasl Plaza, will host the 12th edition of the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards on Dec.27. Icons of international football, stars and guests will attend the Dubai International Sports Conference and the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards ceremony.

The Dubai Sports Council (DSC), in their role as official host, will welcome the stars from the world of football to the Al Wasl Plaza for a gala to celebrate the football industry and the return of the football activities worldwide. 2021, the second year of the pandemic, has seen the reopening of stadiums and the awarding of continental titles and the qualification stage for the 2022 World Cup go ahead as planned. Football has kept the fans company right through the globally health crisis, with games being aired for 16 months without a break.

This edition will have 14 categories, including the first award for the Best Women’s Club of the Year, which joins the Best Women’s Player of the Year award, demonstrating the steady growth that professional women’s football is gaining.

Among those nominated for awards are winners of this year’s European and South American titles, such as Italy, Argentina and Chelsea, along with winners of national tournaments, including Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Lille. The greatest drama is reserved for one the most anticipated categories; Best Men’s Player of the Year, with nominees that Dubai has celebrated in the past – Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski – and other popular names, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr. and Mohamed Salah.

For the Best Coach of the Year, 14 distinguished candidates are nominated. Among them are the coaches of the European Championship final, Italy’s Roberto Mancini and England’s Gareth Southgate, and out in front, and the equally illustrious Champions League finalists, Thomas Tuchel and Josep Pep Guardiola. Alongside them is Lionel Scaloni, Copa America winner in South America with Argentina.

The presence of Antonio Conte is no surprise - he led his team to victory in the scudetto in Italy, as did Diego Simeone, victorious in Spain. It is also important to acknowledge the sterling efforts of Unai Emery, who triumphed in the Europa League with Villareal, previously having coached Seville. He is deservedly included in the group of 14 for having won internationally with teams not always in leading position.

Fifteen candidates are competing for the Best Club of the Year with almost the entire European football aristocracy represented with nine nominees from England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France. We will know more soon from South America which is on a different timetable, waiting for the end of November to see who wins the Libertadores, with the final between Palmeiras and Flamengo scheduled for Nov.27.

Following her win in 2019 as Best Women’s Player of the Year, Manchester City and England footballer Lucy Bronze, is once again among the top nominees for the category, alongside Alexia Putellas and US stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan. The Best Women’s Club of the Year has prominent clubs including Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City in contention for the award.

Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the DSC commented, “The scene on the evening of Dec.27 will be dazzling and full of icons of international football, hosted at the most famous Dome of Stars, the Al Wasl Plaza, in the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai.

“We are pleased that this special event, which combines the Dubai International Sports Conference and the prestigious Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, will be the closing scene of 2021, the year which witnessed major international football activities for the most famous sport in the world. Football fans in the UAE, Expo 2020 Dubai guests and hundreds of millions of people from countries all over the world will be watching the most awaited global event and will celebrate the victory of their favorite football stars.”