FIFA will hold its annual awards ceremony to recognise the best players, coaches, fans, and participants across the global football community this week.
Held in London in early 2024, FIFA will name the top performers on and off the pitch from around the sport over the 2023 calendar year.
The Best Awards were started in 2016 as FIFA’s alternative to the Ballon d’Or, which split from its partnership with the football governing body around that time. Since then, it has grown into a ceremony full of various nominations, including a women’s best player, best coaches across both men’s and women’s, and the annual Puskas Award for goal of the year.
With reigning Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi also up for the FIFA The Best Men’s Player, alongside many other stars from around the world of football, The Sporting News brings you everything you need to know about this year’s ceremony, including how to watch the proceedings live.
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 live stream, TV channel
- Date: Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
- Time: 7:30 p.m. local GMT (2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT)
- TV Channel: None
- Live Stream: FIFA+
The 2024 FIFA The Best Awards ceremony takes place in London on Monday, with the ceremony beginning at 7:30 p.m. local time in the UK.
The ceremony is streamed exclusively on FIFA’s free streaming service FIFA+, which is available online worldwide or on various smart devices in many global markets, including Samsung TV+, LG, and Roku.
MORE: Watch UEFA Champions League in the United States on Paramount+
What time does The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 start?
FIFA’s The Best Awards for the 2023 calendar year will take place on Monday, January 15, 2024 in London, with the ceremony beginning at 7:30 p.m. local time in England.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Start time | |
| USA/Canada | Mon, Jan. 15 | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Mon, Jan. 15 | 11:30 a.m. PT |
| UK | Mon, Jan. 15 | 7:30 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Tue, Jan. 16 | 6:30 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Tue, Jan. 16 | 1 a.m. IST |
The Best FIFA Football 2024 categories and nominees
The following categories will be recognised at this year’s FIFA The Best awards which highlight accomplishments across the 2023 calendar year.
The Best FIFA Men’s Player
Lionel Messi, who won the 2022/23 Ballon d’Or, is also amongst the nominees for FIFA’s The Best male player in 2023, alongside record-setting Manchester City star Erling Haaland and PSG goal hawk Kylian Mbappe.
Messi’s triumph in the 2022 World Cup is technically not part of the FIFA The Best qualifying window for their 2023 award, as FIFA notes only accomplishments achieved between Dec. 19, 2022 and Aug. 20, 2023 will be recognised. The 2022 World Cup final was on Dec. 18, 2022.
Nominees: Erling Haaland (Man City & Norway), Kylian Mbappe (PSG & France), Lionel Messi (PSG/Inter Miami & Argentina)
The Best FIFA Women’s Player
Women’s World Cup winners Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso headline the Women’s Best Player award, joined by Colombia standout Linda Caicedo. Bonmati won the Golden Ball at the 2022 Women’s World Cup, leading to her victory in the 2022/23 Ballon d’Or race.
Unlike the men’s best player award, FIFA notes that the qualifying window for its women’s award includes events between the dates of Aug. 1, 2022 and Aug. 20, 2023, with that end date notably the day of the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
Nominees: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona & Spain), Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid & Colombia), Jennifer Hermoso (Barcelona & Spain)
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois and Man City netminder Ederson headline the best men’s goalkeeper award, joined by World Cup star Yassine Bounou, who dazzled with Morocco in Qatar.
Like the men’s best player award, the 2022 World Cup is technically not part of this award’s qualifying window for their 2023 coach award, as FIFA notes only accomplishments achieved between Dec. 19, 2022 and Aug. 20, 2023 will be recognised.
The 2022 World Cup final was on Dec. 18, 2022, which means Bounou may be at a disadvantage here compared to the other two. Additionally, Courtois missed much of 2023’s latter half due to an ACL injury.
Nominees: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla/Al Hilal & Morocco), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid & Belgium), Ederson (Man City & Brazil)
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
Women’s World Cup Golden Glove winner Mary Earps headlines the women’s goalkeeping award, joined by Spain’s No. 1 Catalina Coll and Australia shot-stopper Mackenzie Arnold.
Like the women’s best player award, FIFA notes that the qualifying window for this women’s goalkeeper award includes events between the dates of Aug. 1, 2022 and Aug. 20, 2023, with that end date notably the day of the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
Nominees: Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham & Australia), Catalina Coll (Barcelona & Spain), Mary Earps (Man United & England)
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Pep Guardiola, who led Man City to a famous treble in 2023, is joined by Italian club coaches Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti. Inzaghi helped lead Inter to the Champions League final, while Spalletti steered Napoli to its first domestic league title in over 30 years before departing to take charge of the Italian national team.
Like the men’s best player award, the 2022 World Cup is technically not part of the FIFA The Best qualifying window for their 2023 coach award, as FIFA notes only accomplishments achieved between Dec. 19, 2022 and Aug. 20, 2023 will be recognised. The 2022 World Cup final was on Dec. 18, 2022.
Nominees: Pep Guardiola (Man City), Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan), Luciano Spalletti (Napoli/Italy)
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach
Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez, who has molded the Spanish club into giants of European women’s football, is joined by Chelsea great Emma Hayes and England boss Sarina Wiegman. Hayes will depart Chelsea this spring to head up the U.S. women after building the club into an English domestic powerhouse, while Wiegman steered England to the Women’s World Cup final.
Notably, Women’s World Cup winner Jorge Vilda, who led Spain to the global crown, does not appear on the list after his post-tournament scandal that led to his dismissal.
Nominees: Jonatan Giraldez (Barcelona), Emma Hayes (Chelsea/USA), Sarina Wiegman (England)
Puskas Award 2023
Brighton youngster Julio Enciso hopes his long-distance snipe will be famous enough to secure the famous Puskas Award for Goal of the Year.
His Premier League strike has stiff competition from a pair of global unknowns, including midfielder Guilherme Madruga of Brazilian side Botafogo, who scored a jaw-dropping bicycle kick from distance in Serie B league play. Nuno Santos of Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon is also nominated for his rabona goal in Primeira Liga action against Boavista.
Like the men’s best player award, FIFA notes only accomplishments achieved between Dec. 19, 2022 and Aug. 20, 2023 will be recognised for the Puskas Award.
Nominees: Julio Enciso (Brighton vs Man City, May 2023), Guilherme Madruga (Botafogo at Novorizontino, June 2023), Nuno Santos (Sporting CP vs Boavista, March 2023)
FIFA Fair Play Award 2023
The FIFA Fair Play Award for 2023 will be awarded to Georgian international Luka Lochoshvili, whose actions during an Austrian Bundesliga match helped save the life of Georg Teigl who had been rendered unconscious after a collision on the pitch.
Also nominated for the award was Senegal star Sadio Mane, who while playing for Bayern Munich informed the referee he scored a goal with his hand, nullifying the goal which had previously been given by the official. Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga was also nominated for entering the opponent’s dressing room following a U-21 international match between France and Ukraine, offering gifts and support for their country’s plight amidst Russian invasion.
Winner: Luka Lochoshvili (Wolfsberger)
Nominees: Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Eduardo Camavinga (France)
FIFA Fan Award
A Colon de Santa Fe fan was cradling his son in his arms while feeding him his bottle during the team’s Argentinian top-tier encounter against Barracas Central.
Fran Hurndall dribbled a football for an average of 32km a day for 32 days from the Gold Coast to Sydney to raise money for the Women Sport Australia charity.
Millonarios fan Miguel Angel fulfilled his final wish before being euthanised due to an unknown illness as on the eve of his passing he got to meet the members of the first-team squad ahead of their league clash against Alianza Petrolera.
Nominees: Colon de Santa Fe fan feeding a baby, Fran Hurndall dribble marathon, Millonarios fan Miguel Angel’s final wish
