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Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes Honored with Johan Cruyff Awards at 2024 Ballon d’Or. The first-ever Johan Cruyff Awards for best coaches in men’s and women’s football were awarded to Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Ancelotti received recognition for guiding Real Madrid to their record 15th Champions League title—the fifth in his own managerial career—alongside winning La Liga last season. Meanwhile, Hayes led Chelsea to their fifth straight Women’s Super League (WSL) title, reaching the Women’s League Cup final and the semi-finals in both the Women’s Champions League and Women’s FA Cup. Hayes, who took over as head coach of the U.S. women’s team this season, achieved further glory by leading the U.S. team to a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the Olympic final in Paris, securing their first gold in 12 years.
Neither Ancelotti nor Hayes attended the ceremony in Paris. Ancelotti’s club, Real Madrid, opted not to send representatives after learning Vinicius Jr. would miss out on the Ballon d’Or; they expressed that they would not attend “where [they] are not respected.” Hayes, currently in the U.S. preparing for an upcoming match against Argentina, accepted her award via a video message, saying, “I’m very honored to receive the first Ballon d’Or for a coach in the women’s game… This is a very proud day.”
