WORLD football-governing body FIFA will be replacing its The Best FIFA Football Awards with a new prize-giving event from next year.
FIFA announced last night that the new awards will be organised in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council.
“In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), have announced the launch of a new annual world football awards event in Dubai,” the body stated.
“Effective from 2026, the event will become the only official annual FIFA awards ceremony that gathers the world’s most influential football figures, celebrating the best players, teams, and achievements of the beautiful game for the previous year.
“The announcement was made during the World Sports Summit which is underway in Dubai, with FIFA and the DSC signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to confirm the new partnership.”
Infantino, whose FIFA tenure has witnessed welcome and unnecessary changes in equal measure, said: “We are delighted to join forces with Dubai, a city that lives and breathes football, as we develop this world-class event.
“These world football awards will not just be an award ceremony, but an innovative way to celebrate football and honour the official top performers of the year both on and off the pitch.”
His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the DSC, said: “The Dubai Sports Council enjoys a strong partnership with FIFA, which has resulted in numerous initiatives announced by Gianni Infantino from Dubai in recent times, impacting the global football landscape.
“We are pleased to announce this new agreement, which underscores the continued cooperation between us and reflects Dubai’s prominent position on the global football map. It also highlights Dubai’s role in developing the game worldwide and shaping a brighter future for the world’s biggest and most popular sport through launching pioneering initiatives, honouring outstanding individuals and hosting major events,” he added.
“Dubai is committed to supporting the development of the global sports system in general, and football in particular, and possesses all the necessary elements for success in fulfilling this role optimally, ensuring a significant Emirati impact on global sports.”
FIFA noted that further information on the award categories, the nomination and voting systems and the event dates will follow in due course.