Globe Soccer Awards: Karim Benzema named best player, Mohamed Salah wins Fans’ Player of the Year in Dubai

Ballon d’Or winners Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas won the Best Men’s and Best Women’s Player of the Year respectively at Dubai’s Globe Soccer Awards, while Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was named Fans’ Payer of the Year.

Benzema fought off stiff competition from Erling Haaland and Salah to win his maiden Globe Soccer Best Men’s player award.

The Frenchman, 34, captained Real Madrid to the club’s 14th Champions League triumph last season, with a record-breaking 15 goals in 12 games on the way to the Paris final.

Two-time Ballon d’Or Feminin Putellas claimed a second-successive Globe Soccer Best Women’s player award.

The 28-year-old Barcelona midfielder beat England’s Beth Mead and 17-year-old Colombian Linda Caicedo, who came second, to the accolade.

The night’s final award was handed to Salah, who won Fans’ Player of the Year thanks to votes from viewers throughout the evening.

“You guys put more pressure on me now,” Salah joked on stage after he received his award. “I think it’s always great, the most important part of football is the fans, so to win the award voted by fans is something I’m grateful for.”

Salah broke the record for the fastest hat-trick in the Champions League with his six-minute haul against Rangers at Ibrox in October.

The Egyptian is also Liverpool’s eighth all-time goalscorer with 170 goals in 275 games, and revealed that breaking records is what motivates him on the pitch.

“Too much [attention on breaking records], honestly,” Salah admitted. “I’m always focused to help the team to win games and trophies, that’s the most important thing.

“But somehow also I keep looking for that, because it’s something that motivates me all the time, and makes me want to give more.”

Best Men’s Club of the Year, Real Madrid enjoyed an incredibly successful year on the pitch, clinching a Champions League and La Liga double, and the accolades kept pouring in for Los Blancos.

Carlo Ancelotti picked up the Best Coach of the Year award ahead of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.

The Italian won the award for the first time since 2014 after he guided Real Madrid to a record-breaking Champions League, his second Globe Soccer award.

Strike duo Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were honoured with Player Career Awards.

Manchester United and England record goalscorer Rooney retired in 2021, but Ibrahimovic is still playing, currently plying his trade at Serie A club AC Milan.

“The career is not finished, I have still to go,” Ibrahimovic told the audience in Dubai. “A player’s career is not based on the individual, but all the people that are involved in this, I want to thank them.”

PSG defender Sergio Ramos, who spent 16 seasons at Real Madrid, was recognised as the best defender of all time.

The Spaniard, who won the FIFA World Cup with Spain in 2010, sandwiched in between two European Championships in 2008 and 2012, described receiving the award as “something incredible”.

“This represents the work and for the sacrifices during my career,” Ramos said. “Thanks Sevilla, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and the national team.

“There is still so many challenges to reach,” he added.

Newly appointed Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was presented with a coach career award.

The former PSG and Arsenal head coach has won four UEFA Europa League winners’ medals, three at Sevilla and his latest at Villarreal in 2021.