The Best FIFA Football Awards took place in Qatar earlier this week, with many stars lighting up the red carpet at this gala featuring the world’s best footballers and coaches. In a proud moment for India, there was also representation from the country in the form of national team player Dalima Chhibber, who presented the first-ever Marta Award.
Born in Delhi, Chhibber is one of India’s top players and currently plays for Kickstart, a club based in Karnataka that competes in the Indian Women’s League.
Chhibber has also previously played for Manitoba Bisons in Canada, a team representing the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. A regular member of the Indian Women’s National Team, she also spent time playing for Gokulam Kerala, a club that made history by finishing third in the AFC Women’s Club Championship in 2022.
For the Blue Tigresses, she has played in over 50 games.
The Marta Award was introduced by FIFA in 2024 to honor the most ‘aesthetically significant’ or ‘beautiful’ goal scored by a female footballer. It is the equivalent of the Puskás Award, which this year went to Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
The Marta Award had some worthy nominees, including Sakina Karchaoui’s brilliant strike for France against Sweden in the Euro Qualifying and Trinity Roadman’s goal against Japan in the Olympics.
However, the winner turned out to be Marta, a six-time winner of the FIFA Player of the Year Award.
Marta wins the very first ‘Marta Award’ for best women’s football goal of 2024.
🐐 things
(via @FIFAWWC)pic.twitter.com/lfA4gTv8qG
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 17, 2024
The Brazilian legend, however, was not present at the ceremony, and Chhibber was chosen to announce the award. “I don’t have enough words to describe what an amazing moment it was for me,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity to become the first-ever Indian player to step on such a prestigious stage, and hopefully lighting a ray of hope for the countless Indians who’re working hard to make their dreams come true,” she added.
