Mbappe, Haaland among nominees for KAFD Globe Soccer European Awards

Gulf Today, Sports Reporter

UEFA Champions League finalists Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund are among the 20 nominations for Best Men’s Player at the inaugural KAFD Globe Soccer European Awards 2024, set to take place on May 28 at the prestigious Hotel Cala di Volpe in Costa Smeralda, Italy.

The high-flying duo are joined by, among others, PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Manchester City quartet Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, and Rodri, Bayer Leverkusen’s free-scoring full-back Álex Grimaldo, and Inter Milan trio Alessandro Bastoni, Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu.

The final shortlist will be decided online by fans, with a six-day voting period opening on Friday and running until May 15. Once short-listed, the ultimate winners will be decided by a star-studded jury made up of ex-players such as Iker Casillas and Luis Figo, former and active coaches including Marcello Lippi and Antonio Conte, club presidents and CEOs, referees, agents, and other football stakeholders.

The organisers of the annual Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, which have recognised the football industry’s top on- and off-field performers worldwide for more than 14 years, announced in August that 2024 would see the launch of a new continental Globe Soccer series. Under the umbrella of “Road to Dubai” and organised in partnership with Dubai Sports Council, select winners from this continental edition will be automatically shortlisted for the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, which is held each winter in the United Arab Emirates and traditionally attracts football royalty ranging from Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, Pep Guardiola to Zinedine Zidane.

The KAFD Globe Soccer European Awards will be held alongside the first in-person end-of-season LALIGA Awards on what promises to be a special night for European football.

Fifteen clubs from five of Europe’s top leagues are up for the inaugural Best Men’s Club (Europe), with Bundesliga champions Leverkusen joined by the likes of Serie A winners Inter Milan, English trio Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City, and all four Champions League semi-finalists in Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund.

Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is unsurprisingly included in the 15-man list for Best Coach after leading his side to a first Bundesliga title in what has been an unprecedented season. The Spaniard is joined by, among others, Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, PSG’s Luis Enrique, Bayern’s Thomas Tuchel, and Manchester City’s Guardiola.

The Emerging Player Award meanwhile includes 15 top talents born after 2002. Inevitably, 20-year-old Bellingham is among the nominees, alongside Madrid teammate Eduardo Camavinga (21), Bayern’s Jamal Musiala (21) and Mathys Tel (18), Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz (20), Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo (18), and Barcelona’s 16-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal.

The highly anticipated evening will see Best Goalscorer presented to the top goalscorer playing in Europe. A series of Career Awards will also be presented to players and coaches, along with specific recognitions for major European leagues.

As part of a landmark agreement signed last year, the inaugural KAFD Globe Soccer European Awards will be held in conjunction with Spanish football’s official LALIGA Awards. There will be four categories presented at the ceremony: Best Goal, Best Player, Best Coach, and Best U23 Player, as well as special awards for Team of the Season and LALIGA Champion, which will be presented to Real Madrid.

Through the agreement, LALIGA confirmed its commitment to putting fans at the heart of its New Era and, as such, the winners will be chosen through a voting system by fans, club captains, and an expert committee from a list of nominees set to be published next week. The awards will mark the culmination of another exciting season for the LALIGA EA SPORTS.

Meanwhile, the Globe Soccer Forum will be held the following day at the same venue. Hosted in partnership with Smeralda Holding, owner of Hotel Cala di Volpe, the Forum will be divided into three sessions focusing on financial sustainability, player welfare, and multi-club ownership.

Earlier this week, Globe Soccer announced King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) as title sponsor of its inaugural European edition. A major financial hub located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, KAFD is designed to be a world-class financial centre with modern infrastructure, office spaces, hotels, restaurants, and residential areas. Additionally, Italpreziosi has joined as Platinum sponsor, alongside Gold sponsors Silversands, Azimut Yachts, Socios.com, and Azura, while Moët Hennessy is onboard as official technical partner.