Vinícius Júnior delivered the perfect response to his Ballon d'Or disappointment by winning the FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year award.

The Real Madrid star outshone Manchester City's Rodrigo Hernández and his club teammate Jude Bellingham to claim the prestigious honour.

The Brazilian forward, who controversially missed out on the Ballon d'Or prize, was a fitting star at the FIFA awards ceremony, held just days before Real Madrid’s Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca.

However, after the extravagant gala—which saw winners crowned across various categories—discussions quickly turned to the voting process behind the awards.

FIFA’s voting system distributes points equally across four groups: media professionals, national team coaches, national team captains, and fans worldwide.

Representing Nigeria as captain, William Troost-Ekong, who currently plays for Al-Kholood, cast his votes with Jude Bellingham as his top choice, followed by Vinícius Júnior and Rodri.

#TheBest FIFA Men's Player 2024 👏

Congratulations, @vinijr! pic.twitter.com/KCgndbk2i6

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) December 17, 2024

Troost-Ekong’s selections stood in contrast to those of Nigeria’s head coach, Augustine Eguavoen, whose voting decisions have sparked debate and criticism online.

Eguavoen voting at FIFA The Best

The 59-year-old, who currently serves as interim coach of the Nigerian national team, made a surprising selection for his top three votes in the FIFA The Best awards.

Eguavoen awarded his first vote to Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi, followed by Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior in second place, and Manchester City’s Rodri in third.

Aitana Bonmati is #TheBest FIFA Women's Player 2024! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BsbxX0VLkO

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) December 17, 2024

His decision to name Messi as his top choice has sparked widespread debate among fans, with many labelling his vote as unexpected and possibly sentimental.

THE BEST — Vinicius Jr

💫 pic.twitter.com/yeJWsZGQpJ

— Real Madrid Info ³⁶ (@RMadridInfo) December 17, 2024

In the women’s category, Super Falcons interim coach Justine Madugu chose Tabitha Chawinga, Lindsey Horan, and Barbra Banda as her top three picks.

Meanwhile, Nigeria captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, ranked Barbra Banda first, followed by Aitana Bonmatí and Khadija Shaw in second and third, respectively.