What is the Superior Player Award at the Club World Cup, and who picks its winners?
The newly expanded Club World Cup kicked off in the U.S. this month, and reactions have been all over the map. Some matches have pulled in big crowds, while others have seen plenty of empty seats. The tournament now includes 32 teams from around the world, features a trophy that literally needs a key to open, and introduces a few tweaks to how the game is refereed.
There are also noticeable updates to the matchday experience—on-screen and in-stadium. Players now get individual introductions before kickoff, borrowing a page from NBA-style presentations. With 11 starters per team, it takes a bit longer, but it adds a dramatic edge. There’s also a new Ref Cam, offering fans a unique on-field perspective, especially during goal replays.
And then there’s the Superior Player Award FIFA fans are now voting on.
The Club World Cup has a Superior Player Award – what is it?
Instead of the familiar “Player of the Match” or “Man of the Match” awards seen in other competitions, the Club World Cup now hands out something called the “Superior Player Award” after each game.
So why the rebrand? In a word: sponsorship. Michelob Ultra, the presenting sponsor, is closely tied to the award. Their branding appears before each match, including a pre-game commercial featuring Lionel Messi performing tricks in a hotel lobby under the tagline: “Superior is worth playing for.”
It’s a play on both performance and product. The term “superior” aligns with Michelob Ultra’s messaging and gives the award a fresh identity tailored to this particular tournament.
The award name itself—“Superior Player Award FIFA Club World Cup”—is now showing up in FIFA+ voting portals and match reports. This is not merely a coincidental cross-promotion. This is part of the branding at stake for the tournament.
Is it the first time this has happened?
Not at all. Michelob Ultra’s alignment with soccer sponsorships through the league has been going on for some time. The Superior Player Award has existed in diverse leagues, including the 2024 Copa América and the Concacaf Champions Cup. The former featured fan voting, while the latter boasted a postgame presentation of a player award under the guise of “Superior” for selected participants.
The theme of such releases aligns with leagues relevant to America or heavily promoted to the American audience. Michelob Ultra is getting an edge over an American fanbase that still has growing soccer statistics but massive potential. Such potential has been determined with the decision of the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to North America.
But that’s not all. Michelob Ultra is already positioned to be an official sponsor of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This is long-term marketing with sports, lifestyle, and fan engagement at the forefront.
How is the winner of the Superior Player Award chosen?
Fans vote for it—plain and simple.
During the 60th through 88th minutes of every match of the Club World Cup, fans can vote for their favorite player through the FIFA+ app. Recent years FIFA tournaments—such as the 2022 World Cup—utilized similar voting procedures, and with fan involvement as such, it’s easy to for FIFA to determine Players of the Match.
One vote per person, per match, per tournament is permitted. Fans are required to have a FIFA+ account, as fans must be over eighteen. It does not matter if the vote comes from New York, Tokyo, Lagos, or Buenos Aires; a vote is a vote. It’s global, accessible, and designed to keep fans engaged deep into the second half—even during one-sided games.
Forget a committee, forget a team of experts—a response from the viewers is all.
One of the benefits of this structure, however, is transparency. There is no selection process going on in the background to determine who will be chosen in the end. The determination is made at the end of the game, and subsequent post-game interviews or social media acknowledgments are made in recognition of the honor.
What other awards will be presented at the Club World Cup?
The Superior Player Award FIFA might be getting the spotlight for each game, but it’s not the only individual prize up for grabs.
At the end of the tournament, FIFA will hand out:
- Golden Ball – for the tournament’s best overall player
- Silver Ball – for the second-best performer
- Bronze Ball – for third place
- Golden Boot – for the top scorer
These tournament-ending honors are selected not by a popular vote but by a FIFA appointed technical study group.
Furthermore, there is an honor that extends beyond the final until the next Club World Cup in 2029, the champion club gets to wear a specially made gold badge across their jerseys. It’s an important distinction that gets factored into jersey templates and forthcoming fan merchandise.
For instance, when Real Madrid won the 2022 Club World Cup, the following season’s jerseys had the gold patch on the facade, something franchise fans purchased in club merchandising stores and online.
