The beating heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Al Wasl Plaza, will host the 12th edition of the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards on 27 December 2021. 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, in their role as the 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 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 global 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 Mbappé, 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 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 a 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 27 November.
Following her win in 2019 as Best Women's Player of the Year, Manchester City and England footballer Lucy Bronze is 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.
The 14 categories in the 2021 awards are:
1. Best Men's Player of the Year
2. Best Women's Player of the Year
3. Best Men's Club of the Year
4. Best Women's Club of the Year
5. Best Defender of the Year
6. Best Goalkeeper of the Year
7. Best Coach of the Year
8. Best National Team of the Year
9. Best Agent of the Year
10. Best Sporting Director of the Year
11. TikTok Fans Player of the Year
12. Best Esports Player of the Year
13. Player Career Award
14. Special Award
Following on from last year, football fans around the world will have the opportunity to pick their top 5 finalists from the initial nominees in each category through the public vote at vote.globesoccer.com. Voting starts today, 25 November, and runs until 8 December. This will be followed by a second round of voting from 9 to 17 December to choose this year's award winners. The winners will be chosen by the public and an international jury of sports coaches, directors and club presidents. Full voting information is available here. Voting for the TikTok Fan Awards will instead take place on the platform of the Title Sponsor, TikTok.
This year's Dubai Globe Soccer Awards is also proud to welcome new sponsors, Club by Emaar, Zone.gaming and Legends of Bezogia by Bezoge Earth.
The Dubai Globe Soccer Awards will be broadcast live via satellite and live streaming worldwide. More information regarding this and all updates will be shared through Globe Soccer's social media channels: @globesoccer on Instagram, @Globe_Soccer on Twitter, @globesoccer on Facebook, @globesoccer on TikTok and Globe Soccer Awards on YouTube.
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