Mansoor bin Mohammed crowns winners of Dubai Globe Soccer Awards

- Kylian Mbappé, Robert Lewandowski, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho feature in glittering list of Award winners

- Mbappé and Lewandowski enthral attendees at Armani Hotel at an engrossing Dubai International Sports Conference session

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, honoured the winners of the 12th Dubai Globe Soccer Award, at a ceremony held on Monday night on the sidelines of the 16th Dubai International Sports Conference at Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa.

Organised under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives by Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai International Sports Conference has brought together the football world’s leading personalities and stakeholders every year since 2006. This year’s Conference featured two of the world football’s biggest stars, Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe, involved in an engrossing discussion on football.

The two leading goal-scorers of 2021 were also featured in a glittering list of Dubai Globe Soccer Awards winners, which included the inimitable Cristiano Ronaldo and former Brazilian football superstar Ronaldinho.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, took part in the awards ceremony. His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council and His Excellency Aref Al Awani, Secretary General of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, were also present at the Conference and awards ceremony along with other members of Dubai Sports Council and top officials from different sports federations, sports clubs and football companies.

Poland and Bayern Munich ace Lewandowski, who also took part in the 2020 Dubai International Sports Conference and was named Dubai Globe Soccer Player of the Year 2020, picked up two awards on Monday night - TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year Award and the Maradona Award for the Best Goal Scorer of the Year.

France and Paris Saint-Germain’s Mbappe was honoured with the Dubai Globe Soccer Men’s Player of the Year award, while Spain international and captain of the FC Barcelona women’s team, Alexia Putellas, was named Dubai Globe Soccer Women's Player of the Year.

Ronaldo – winner of six Dubai Globe Soccer Men’s Player of the Year awards as well as the Dubai Globe Soccer Player of the Century 2001-2020 award last year – was bestowed with the Top Goal Scorer of All Time award, while Ronaldinho, one of the stars of Brazil’s 2002 FIFA World Cup triumph, was honoured with the Player Career Award.

Putellas’ club FC Barcelona was adjudged Dubai Globe Soccer Women’s Club of the Year, while Italy, winners of the 2020 UEFA European Championship, were named Best National Team of the Year.

Roberto Mancini, the Italy national team coach who guided the Azzurri to their first European title since 1968, was named Coach of the Year. Guided by Mancini, Italy were the only team in UEFA Euro 2020 to win all three group stage matches without conceding a goal, and they finished the tournament with the best goal difference, the most shots, and the most attempted through-balls.

Under Mancini’s watch, Italy also set a new world record with their unbeaten run of 36 matches, surpassing the previous world record of 35 set by Brazil and Spain. Their unbeaten streak came to an end following a 2-1 loss to Spain on October 6.

Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, who has been an integral member of Mancini’s record-setting Italy national team, picked up the award for the Defender of the Year, while the Italian league was honoured with the Dubai Globe Soccer Innovation Award.

The other Award winners on the night were Manchester City’s Director of Football Begiristain Mujika (Sporting Director of the Year); Federico Pastorello (Agent of the Year); Saudi Arabia’s 2018 FIFA eWorld Cup winner Mossad Aldossary (eSports Player of the Year); and Giza-based Egyptian football club ZED FC (Grassroots Academy Award).