Mansoor bin Mohammed crowns winners of DGSA

Part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the 17th Dubai International Sports Conference, organised by the DSC under the slogan ‘The Road to Championships,’ brought together football’s top global stakeholders for a dialogue on shaping the future of the sport. The prestigious 13th edition of the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards honoured the sport’s exceptional achievers in 16 categories.

Also present during the awards ceremony were Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the DSC; Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the DSC; and other senior officials from government and sports bodies.

Adriano Galliani, the former CEO of Italian club AC Milan and current CEO of Serie A club Monza, won the Best Executive Director-Career award. Sergio Ramos, former Spanish and Real Madrid star and the current French club Paris Saint-Germain player, was adjudged Defender of the Year. The Best Player-Career award was bagged by former Brazilian star Romario, former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney, and AC Milan and Swedish national team star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Egyptian national team and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah won the TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year Award.

Karim Benzema, French national team star and captain of Real Madrid, was named the Dubai Globe Soccer Men’s Player of the Year. Victor Osimhen, player of Napoli, was adjudged Young Player of the Year. Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Dubai Globe Soccer Women’s Player of the Year award. Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president, was named Club President of the Year. Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti was named Coach of the Year. Didier Drogba, the former star of Chelsea and the Ivory Coast national team, won the CNN Off The Pitch Award. They received the awards remotely.

Johnny Claft won the Talent Scout of the Year award. Rafaela Pimenta won the Transfer Deal of the Year award. Jorge Mendes was named Agent of the Year. Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara were named Sports Directors of the Year. The Women’s Club of the Year award went to Olympique Lyonnais Football Club, while Real Madrid won the Men’s Club of the Year honour.

Rene Ramos won the award for Best Player Agent-Career. Unai Emery, head coach of Aston Villa, was named Best Coach-Career. José Ángel Sánchez, CEO of Real Madrid, was named CEO of the Year.

The event began with a morning session about talent retention and development at the headquarters of the Dubai Sports Council. Rui Costa, star of the former Portuguese national team and Italian clubs Fiorentina and AC Milan, and the current president of SL Benfica; and Unai Emery, the former coach of Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal, and the current coach of Aston Villa; the famous Italian coach Fabio Capello; and Julian Ward, the sporting director of Liverpool, participated in the session and shared their perspectives.

An evening session titled ‘The Road to Championships’ saw two of the most famous European and international football players come together on one stage for the first time. Sergio Ramos, former captain of the Spanish national team and Real Madrid and the current defender of Paris Saint-Germain, and giant striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the star of the Swedish national team and many major European clubs, and the current striker of the Italian club AC Milan, spoke about the role of experienced players in developing the technical and mental skills of their younger team members. The session shed light on the role of the players in creating a team with the personality of a champion and the ability to win the most important titles. The two also discussed how talented players face challenges at the beginning of their careers.

The winners of the key awards were honoured with a display of their pictures on the Burj Khalifa. They included Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Romario, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, and Mohamed Salah.