Soccer Awards? For Me?..... You Shouldn't Have

soccer awards

And the soccer awards for best soccer player currently reading this page goes to? YOU!!

Getting trophies and awards can truly be a special thing and aspiring to receive them one day can work as a great motivator to achieve some of your life long dreams.

Whether you're trying to understand which soccer awards are the most prestigious at the highest level or the importance of them at any level then you will find great value in all the information found here.

We've all received awards at one time or another in our playing careers and know that incredible feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction but they can also have negative affects on us as well.

Understanding how soccer awards will help or hurt you are important things you need to learn to balance and separate because an award just for showing up that everyone gets can actually have the reverse affect on an athlete. So read up on all the trophies you plan on adding to your glass case one day and don't forget that every master was once a student.

No matter how far fetched you may think receiving an award at the highest level is from your current position, both Messi and Ronaldo never thought they would reach the heights they did until they got there.

If you're the type of player that is in the running for an award every year make sure you are using it in the right way meaning to motivate and inspire you and your team to win and achieve even more. Several players think their work is done after getting a trophy when real top players know the work is just beginning.


Soccer Awards Videos


Top 5 Soccer Awards You Can Earn At The Highest Level


Ballon D'or


Golden Boot


FIFA World XI


Fifa World Player Of The Year


Golden Glove


Top 5 Soccer Awards You Can Win At The Highest Level Explained


1. Ballon D'or

  • More like the Messi D'or, this is the cream of the crop when it comes to individual soccer awards which is handed out by French News Magazine and is given to the best player on the planet for that particular season.
  • Messi has won it a record 6 times with Ronaldo a close second winning 5 times in their respective careers.
  • That could be you one day, imagine from all the incredible players on the planet that you get selected as the absolute best, hey it could happen.


2. Golden Boot

  • The golden boot is given to the top goal scorer every year from the top European leagues. Messi and Ronaldo have both won this numerous times which is no surprise to anyone.
  • Obviously strikers and attacking players every year are jousting for this award, players who win it are typically on strong teams with incredible players that put them in positions to score lots of goals.
  • It is rare for a team in the middle of the table to have a player win the golden boot.
  • The golden boot is also given to top goal scorers in Champions league, the Euro and World Cups as well.


3. FIFA World XI

  • Now here is an award you can stick your chest out about. The FIFA World XI is an award where the best 11 players in each of their positions is selected to make the best team of the year.
  • If you're selected to the FIFA World XI that means you were the best player in your position in the entire football world.
  • With all the different players and teams worldwide you were selected to the most elite team of them all, congrats young Messi, you did it.


4. FIFA World Player Of The Year

  • Well this one is pretty straight forward, FIFA every year awards one player as the world's best.
  • This is similar to the Ballon D'or just less prestigious for whatever reason.
  • It is voted on by journalists and your peers so to receive this award is quite the achievement.


5. Golden Glove

  • The golden glove soccer awards are handed out to the top goalkeeper either in their league for the entire season or at a tournament such as the Euro or World Cup.
  • No matter how the goalie actually played the award is given out to the goalie who received the most clean sheets (zero goals against in a game) for the entirety of the league or tournament.
  • This award does not always go to the best goalkeeper because this is very much a team award seeing how it's all about goals conceded and if your team has a very strong team defence you can imagine the goalie will have a higher chance of winning it.
  • Regardless of the details the keeper who can keep the ball out of their net the most wins, no style points here it's all about the numbers.



Top 5 Reason Soccer Awards At Any Level Are Important


1. They Build Confidence

  • Receiving soccer awards do wonders for your confidence.
  • When you are rewarded publicly for your play and performance you can't help but feel good about yourself and naturally your confidence in your ability increases.
  • It's one thing to think you're the best player but to get it justified and validated by your peers and community really helps you grow your belief in yourself. 


2. They Fuel The Love For The Game

Ever little trophy or soccer awards that you may receive only pours more fuel on the fire of your love for this beautiful game.

We all like to be good at something and when you get recognized for that special skill or ability it makes you appreciate and love the platform on which you play.

At the youngest of ages the most important goal of any coach is to make their players fall in love with this sport so it can become part of their lives for a lifetime and soccer awards can help aid that passion.


3. They Reward The Players Who Put The Work In

Typically with individual awards the players that receive them are those that work on their craft the most and are serious about improving their game every single day.

This is a great example to set for their fellow teammates if you see the hardest worker and most dedicated player on your team receiving awards it demonstrates what everyone needs to do to get to that level.

Now if your best player who gets all these awards is lazy and just gifted then that's a tough one to find a teachable moment from.


4. Motivation For All

If you're the player receiving the award then it acts as great motivation to keep that level up and get more soccer awards each and every year to prove the first one wasn't a fluke.

If you're a player who is watching others get award then it should act as a great motivator for you to one day be on that stage being celebrated by everyone for your goals, saves or great play.

No matter who gets the awards the fact that they are being given out acts as a great motivator for every player who sees what they want right in front of them.


5. They Push The Game Forward

  • Everyone hates seeing their opposition get soccer award that they feel belong to them and in turn increase their level of play in games and in training to try and reach that next level.
  • What this does is that it raises the level of the sport for all trying to reach those new heights of individual and team achievement creating a better brand and higher standard of play.
  • We all want to be king of the jungle and dangling the carrot in front of us whether we get it or not is one great way to move our game forward.


Top 3 Reasons Soccer Awards Can Hurt A Team Or Player


1. Feel They Are Above The Team

  • A player that receives a golden boor or MVP award can feel like they are above the team and look down on other players.
  • This could lead to the player feeling entitled and that they deserve to be treated differently than the rest of the group causing a rift between his teammates.
  • With a coach that doesn't address this you could have players who feel they run the team and are above the rules set out for every player.


2. Well That Was Easy

  • Some players that get an award given to them without putting in any real effort or work makes them feel like they don't need to put the work in because what they've been doing is clearly working.
  • This is the problem with everyone in soccer getting participation medals at a young age, what this does is teach the kids that everyone deserves an award and the level of commitment they've been putting in is enough to achieve things in life even if they have done nothing to earn it.
  • A valuable lesson in life is that you have to outwork everyone and earn everything you get, when awards are handed out when it's not deserved it makes those who haven't put the work in complacent and content.


3. Selfish Play

  • Players whether they have earned soccer awards in the past or are trying to get their first can hurt the team by playing selfishly on the pitch instead of making the right team play.
  • A player trying to win MVP or leading goal scorer can ignore the team goals by trying to elevate their individual accolades in search of soccer awards that they think are more important.
  • What ends up happening is this hurts the players overall game and lowers the teams effectiveness on the pitch at the same time. Soccer awards can be a curse in that way and work against the team if a player has blinders on and can't see past it.


What's More Important? Individual Or Team Soccer Awards?

I hope I don't have to spell this one out for your but in most circumstances team awards such as winning a tournament, championship or league is so much more special than some individual award ever could be.

The reason they are so much more special is because you get to share it with your teammates and the trophy becomes the fire that all of you sit around and reminisce about how you earned it together.

Through these struggles stories and incredible memories are built that last a life time, when was the last time you and your buddies got together to talk about your MVP award or your goal scoring title?

I bet if you were to ask Messi or Ronaldo they would trade away all of their individual trophies for just one World Cup in a second, not only because of being able to share it with their teammates as mentioned above but also because of the ability to rewrite history and bring joy to an entire nation.


Which Soccer Awards Are Handed Out To Coaches?

Of course there are, who could forget about the manager. Each league has their own manager of the season award that is handed out and there is also a coach of the year award handed out at the The Best FIFA Football Awards. This is a year end soccer awards banquet that is put on to reward all the top performers across the globe including coaches.

This is one of the soccer awards like the Ballon D'or that takes coaches from every league, competition or national tournament into consideration when choosing the winner.

In the past national team coaches and club coaches have both won this award based on their successful seasons in various leagues and tournaments, the coach that wins the champions league or world cup is a pretty safe bet to take the award home each year but still not a lock.