Cristiano Ronaldo has been confirmed for this week’s Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.
The Juventus forward, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, will be present at Madinat Jumeirah on Thursday night, where he has been nominated for the Best Player Award alongside French 2018 World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. Ronaldo, 33, has previously won the gong four times.
Other notable names attending on Thursday include Fifa president Gianni Infantino, 2018 World Cup-winning manager Didier Deschamps, and former world champions with Brazil, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Ronaldo’s club teammate, Blaise Matuidi, has also been confirmed.
The Globe Soccer Awards, now in its 10th year, celebrate players, managers, club directors and agents who have enjoyed particularly successful 12 months. This week’s event marks the conclusion of the 13th Dubai International Sports Conference, which takes place at Madinat Jumeirah on Wednesday and Thursday. Organised by Dubai Sports Council, the conference features those mentioned above, among others.
In a statement released on Sunday, Globe Soccer chief executive Tommaso Bendoni said: “We have enjoyed nine great editions of the awards, which wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Dubai Sports Council and the Dubai International Sports Conference.
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“After the important discussions, panels, interviews and presentations held during the conference, the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony allows us to round off the two days with a glittering evening of celebration featuring a strong mix of international celebrities, business representatives and football heavyweights.”
Aside from the Best Player award, the ceremony will honour the best coach, club, sporting director and even best Arab referee, as the winners of 13 categories are announced. As is usually the case, several Player Career awards will be presented to select footballers who have made noteworthy contributions to the game. A renowned manager will be given a Coach Career Award, too. The nominees for this week's awards have been selected by a jury of international football coaches.
Ronaldo has been a regular at the event since its inception having been nominated for Best Player eight times, winning four. The Portugal captain, who in June helped fire Real Madrid to a third successive Uefa Champions League crown before transferring this summer to Juventus, last lifted the award in 2017 – although he did not attend the gala night.
Griezmann and Mbappe stand in Ronaldo’s way, with both enjoying fine years for club and country. The pair were part of the successful France side that captured a second World Cup for their country, defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final in Russia. Griezmann added the title to the Europa League trophy he secured with Atletico Madrid, while Mbappe was part of the Paris Saint-Germain side that cruised to the French Ligue 1 title.
