UAE, Dubai; 25 November 2021: 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 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 the 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 globally 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 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 once again 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:
- Best Men’s Player of the Year
- Best Women’s Player of the Year
- Best Men’s Club of the Year
- Best Women’s Club of the Year
- Best Defender of the Year
- Best Goalkeeper of the Year
- Best Coach of the Year
- Best National Team of the Year
- Best Agent of the Year
- Best Sporting Director of the Year
- TikTok Fans Player of the Year
- Best Esports Player of the Year
- Player Career Award
- Special Award
H.E. Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council commented, “The scene on the evening of December 27 will be dazzling and full of icons of international football, hosted at the most famous Dome of Stars, the Al Wasl Plaza, in the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai. We are pleased that this special event, which combines the Dubai International Sports Conference and the prestigious Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, will be the closing scene of 2021, the year which witnessed major international football activities for the most famous sport in the world. Football fans in the UAE, Expo 2020 Dubai guests and hundreds of millions of people from countries all over the world will be watching the most awaited global event and will celebrate the victory of their favorite football stars.”
Tommaso Bendoni, CEO of Dubai Globe Soccer, said, “This year’s Dubai Globe Soccer Awards ceremony will, once again, be a great celebration of football and will recognise the excellence of the players, managers and agents who were able to make this season a success following the restart of the football business due the impact of the pandemic. The men and women who have demonstrated their skills and talent at all levels of the sport will be showcased against the stunning backdrop of Expo 2020 Dubai, making this an exceptionally special occasion. Hosting the awards in Dubai is an opportunity for us to thank everyone who kept working tirelessly throughout the last year in between Covid testing, bubbles and lockdowns.
“We also wish to extend our thanks to the Title Sponsor TikTok, for supporting the Globe Soccer Awards for the second year. We’re looking forward to seeing which of the nominees gets the most votes in the TikTok Fans Player of the Year 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 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 in 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.
The nominees for 14 awards that will be presented during the ceremony on 27 December 2021 are:
