Entity announces new global ceremony in partnership with Dubai and says it will be its only official event, calling current format into question
December 29
2025
– 11:09 p.m.
(updated at 11:15 p.m.)
The scene of major world football celebrations will undergo a radical transformation from 2026. FIFA officially announced this Monday (29) the creation of a new annual award, developed in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council. The strategic agreement was signed during the World Sports Summit, an event that runs until next Tuesday (30) and brings together the sports management elite in Dubai. Furthermore, the meeting marks a new chapter in the institutional history of the entity.
The proposal presented by President Gianni Infantino carries the promise of modernity and a break with current standards. The director was keen to emphasize that the project goes well beyond the simple presentation of classic trophies to which the public is accustomed.
In Infantino’s words, it’s an “innovative way to celebrate football.”
The central objective of the initiative is to recognize and honor the best players of the season, but from a broader perspective that values the performance and impact of athletes on and off the field.
The organization of the event guarantees that the ceremony will bring together the “most influential personalities in world football”. The intention is to celebrate not only individual stars, but also the best teams and most important achievements in sport over the previous year.
End of FIFA The best?
However, the announcement raised a shocking question about the current gala schedule. The organization has categorically stated that this new ceremony will be the “only awards ceremony it will organize from 2026 onwards”. This guideline calls into question the continuity of “The Best”, an award that FIFA has consolidated in recent years as a direct competitor to the Ballon d’Or. The statement did not specify whether the old brand will be abandoned, absorbed or serve as the basis for the new format, leaving the future of the current trophy undefined.
Many gaps still remain to be filled regarding the mechanisms of the conflict. FIFA said it would release key details to the public and press at other dates, such as the full list of categories, voting system criteria and the specific schedule of the event. The alliance with Dubai demonstrates, once again, the political and financial power of the Middle East behind the scenes, placing the responsibility on the region to host the ultimate celebration of world football.
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