The end of The Best Awards: FIFA announced the creation of a new annual prize

FIFA made a historic change to its awards system official. The organization announced the creation of an annual gala in association with the Dubai Sports Council that will debut in 2026. This gala will be the only official recognition event for players, teams, and achievements in both men's and women's soccer.

The announcement was made during the World Sports Summit held in Dubai, with the presence of the president of the international body, Gianni Infantino, and Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the highest authority of the Sports Council. There, both parties signed a memorandum of understanding that sealed the birth of the new event, which will have its permanent venue in the Emirati city.

"Starting in 2026, it will be FIFA's only official annual awards ceremony and it will bring together the most prominent figures in the beautiful game to honor the best players, teams, and achievements from the previous season of men's and women's soccer", stated the press release distributed to the media. With this decision, the The Best awards will cease to exist, and they will be replaced by this awards ceremony that doesn't yet have an official name.

Infantino himself celebrated the agreement and emphasized its global reach: "We're delighted to join forces with Dubai, a city that lives soccer with devotion, to develop this top-level event. These world soccer awards will be much more than a ceremony: this is an innovative way to pay tribute to soccer and to officially recognize the people who have performed best on and off the field of play", he affirmed.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum highlighted the international role that Dubai aims to occupy with this agreement: "We are pleased to announce this new agreement, which demonstrates our ongoing collaboration and reflects the remarkable role that Dubai plays in world soccer".

FIFA indicated in advance that in the coming months more details will be revealed about the categories, nomination system, voting process, and schedule for the future gala, which will seek to establish itself as the major annual event on the soccer planet.