#fifa best of

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

if you couldn't imagine fifa sinking to new lows, what in the world is this? there is a ceremony, but no nominees in attendance and everyone calling in via zoom??

anyway, at least it's a much better best XI this time around (except for horan who always scams her way on these lists😅) congrats to all our barça winners! 🥳 and i'm glad marta is the inaugural marta award winner!

someone get jill ellis away from aitana! 🥴

[lsunstreakerl]

part six of the maxiel corporate au! 2.1k words, alternating max POV and daniel POV.

there's actually not any explicit content here- it's a little bit more plot focused.

Max needs to get out of bed. He needs to get up, and shower, and eat something- but he's been thinking that on a loop for a few hours now, and still hasn't done anything.

He's not sure why he feels so off, but it's made him burrow further into the bed, wrapping his arms around one of his pillows, holding it to his chest.

He feels-

He's not sure. He's sore, and he's a little bit sad for no discernible reason. Last night had been good, even if Max doesn't distinctly remember the later part of the night- doesn't remember getting home, just knows he'd woken up with a sore ass and legs, work clothes dropped on the floor, wearing unfamiliar sweatpants.

He remembers the car ride, going into Daniel's condo- remembers his legs being held apart, Daniel's fingers inside of him- but after he'd started actually getting fucked is where things get hazy.

Waking up to a text from Scarlett letting him know he's got the day off had been confusing, and then mortifying, but Max is glad for it now- he doesn't think he'd do very good work today, not with the way he's feeling.

Normally he's one of the first ones to leave from his complex's floor. He knows that because their walls are paper thin, and they can all hear each other when someone drops something and swears. There's four of them on Max's floor- him and Rico have been here the longest, neighbors since their first year of uni. Martin moved in a few months after Max and Rico, and Isack is the newest- the baby of the floor, moved in last year as he started uni.

Max normally leaves first. Max also never misses work. He knows it, and he knows they know it too, which is why he's not terribly surprised when there's a knock on his door.

He doesn't want to get up and open it.

There's a few rattles of the handle, and then the somewhat familiar metallic noise of Rico just using his own key.

They'd figured out they had the same lock a few months into being neighbors after a drunken mishap, and now they're friends, so there's been no reason to change that.

Max lifts his head as he hears the front door open and shut. His flat isn't huge- a studio- so it only takes a moment for Rico to poke his head around the corner.

He always looks like a behemoth next to Max's things, but he's reassuring at the moment, green eyes watching Max with concern.

"Hey."

Max presses his lips together, dropping his head back onto the pillow.

"Hi."

Rico toes his shoes off as he makes his way over, snagging the Playstation controllers, and then he's poking at Max's side until he rolls, making space on the bed for Rico to crawl in next to him.

He settles, and then he's wrapping an arm around Max, pulling him into his side.

"FIFA?"

This is why Max and Rico are friends.

"FIFA."

------

Daniel is chewing on the end of his pencil when Blake walks in. He's carrying a chair, which means he's got something Daniel actually needs to pay attention to.

"Sir Friend, how can I assist you?"

Blake sets the chair down heavy on the floor, dropping into it across from Daniel.

"I think Netco is lying about their earnings somewhere- but I've had me and my people on it all damn day and we can't figure out where."

That's... not the kind of thing Daniel likes to hear.

"Well shit. What do you need from me?"

Blake's spinning his own pencil between his fingers, letting it drag over his knuckles.

"You mean you can't just magically figure it out? What are CEO's even for?"

Daniel laughs, leaning back in his chair.

"I mean, I could ask them point blank if they're lying, but..."

Blake snorts.

"I get the impression they wouldn't come clean now."

Daniel frowns. He's trying to think, looking back on his most recent meetings. Everyone's been friendly, but no one's been suspicious.

Oh, on that note-

"Damn, I guess that means that discrepancy didn't go anywhere then."

Blake pauses, pencil stilling.

"What discrepancy."

"Uh, the one Max mentioned? A couple days ago."

Blake makes a face.

"And it was up here, so obviously you didn't fucking ask him about it- Daniel, you can be infuriating sometimes. No, I didn't even know there was a discrepancy- that could be genuinely useful, you horny cunt."

Daniel holds his hands up in mock surrender.

"I assumed you guys were all on the same page!"

Blake pinches the bridge of his nose, breathes out a long sigh.

"Clearly not. Can you call him in?"

"Blake, mate, I gave him the day off. Be pretty shit of me to call him in."

Blake narrows his eyes.

"Be even shitter to get stuck in a bad deal. Think with your brain and not your dick, please."

Daniel makes a face, but he's clicking around, getting into Max's file to find his cell number.

He makes sure to punch it in correctly, and it rings for a moment. It's the late afternoon by now- Max should be fine.

"Max Verstappen's phone, can I take a message?"

Daniel's brain freezes. It's a male voice, deep and accented.

Thankfully, he's been doing this for so many years now that despite the fact that his brain is stalling, his mouth still works.

"This is Daniel Ricciardo- who am I speaking with?"

"Rico Verhoeven."

Daniel scrawls the name down absentmindedly.

"Hello Rico. Is Max available? It's a bit urgent."

"He can be- one moment."

Daniel catches the sound of some shuffling, and then for a moment he wonders if he's having a stroke- but it's just the faint murmurs of another language. He faintly hears Max on the end, a mumbled 'Rico?' That sounds soft and sleepy.

Daniel's not going to think about it.

There's another moment of shuffling, and then the phone is picked up again.

"This is Max speaking."

He still sounds drowsy, but it's definitely Max this time.

"Hey Max, it's Daniel. What'd you end up doing with that report the other day, with the merger discrepancy you mentioned?"

Max makes a sleepy hum.

"The copy stayed with you, sir. But I have a backup on my desktop I could reprint, if you need it."

"That would be great- do you need me to call you a car?"

"Uh- one second sir."

More soft murmurs- it's the other language again.

"I have a ride. I will be there in twenty minutes."

Daniel's grip on his pencil tightens for a moment.

"Sounds great. Tell Rico I said thanks- and he's more than welcome to come in and say hi."

Blake is giving him a very clear "what the fuck, Daniel" face, but he chooses to ignore it.

"Oh, uh- thank you sir. I will let him know you offered."

"See you in a few, Maxy."

Daniel hangs up, and Blake is arching an eyebrow at him.

"What the fuck, Daniel?"

------

It only takes Rico and Max fifteen minutes to arrive- Daniel and Blake are up on the fourth floor again, near the walkway. It has a good vantage point to the entryway on the ground level.

Daniel is lazily watching the door, but it's Blake that spots them first- chokes on a half laugh and then pats Daniel's shoulder consolingly.

"There's your fucking competition mate, jesus."

Daniel's eyes dart to the door, and then widen comically. There is a giant standing next to Max.

A very built giant. Max is tiny next to him- and he's chatting enthusiastically about something, hands having half the conversation for him.

Rico is listening patiently as they start taking the stairs, content to let Max talk regarding whatever it is he's on about.

Daniel doesn't get intimidated easily- it's something you get over quick, as a CEO- but Rico...

The man looks like he can fight. Max hadn't mentioned any kind of boyfriend- and he'd both claimed to be and behaved like a virgin last night- but Daniel isn't interested in "accidentally" running into Rico in an alleyway.

Max is walking today far better than Daniel had expected him to, though he's not in business casual- just jeans and a quarter zip. He spots Blake and waves, and then when he sees Daniel his cheeks heat up, head ducking slightly.

Blake elbows him gently when they both straighten up as Max and Rico get closer.

"Nice knowing ya, Dan."

"Shut up."

Max crosses the walkway, and Rico seems even bigger in person, towers head and shoulders above the others.

Blake, brave man, steps forward first.

"Max, thank you so much for coming in on your day off- I appreciate it."

Max flashes him a smile, stepping around him to log onto the monitor.

"It is no problem."

Blake extends his hand to Rico.

"You must be Rico- I'm Blake Friend, CFO. This is Daniel Ricciardo, CEO."

Rico shakes his hand, and then turns to take Daniel's, and there's a brief moment where he wonders if his life is about to flash in front of his eyes.

Rico's gaze lingers on him for a moment. He has intense green eyes, and Daniel gets the distinct feeling that he isn't very impressed.

"I appreciate you offering to bring to Max in- that was kind of you."

Rico sets his hands in his pockets.

"It is of course not a problem, to help Max."

Max makes a cooing noise from behind the computer, shooting a grin at Rico. It's startlingly bright, more real than anything Daniel has seen from him before- it scrunches his eyes up.

"Aw, Rico- don't be sappy."

Rico just smiles back at him.

There's the sound of the printer starting up, and Max logs out, looking over at Daniel and Blake.

"I have it set to reprint the report and the more detailed logs for the incidents I was looking at, if you wanted those also."

Daniel didn't even know there were detailed logs.

"Thank you, Max. We appreciate that. Enjoy the rest of your day off, yeah?"

Max nods- still can't quite meet his eyes, and Daniel would normally find that cute- and it is- but Rico's presence makes him hesitate to tease.

"It was no problem, sir."

Blake exchanges a few more pleasantries with them both as Daniel gathers the reports off of the printer, and then the two of them are leaving.

Blake turns back to Daniel.

"That man is fucking terrifying, mate."

Daniel makes a face.

"Tell me about it."

------

Rico is nice enough to wait until they're back in the car before he opens his mouth.

"This is why are you sad."

Max busies himself organizing the spare change in the cup holders.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Rico makes a disbelieving noise.

"Really? You wouldn't get out of bed, couldn't walk straight until we did stretches, and now the man that you've been calling 'sir' over the phone- you can't even look him in the eyes."

Max crumples a stray straw wrapper into a small ball.

"Those things can be unrelated."

"But they aren't, are they? You got fucked by your boss."

Rico pauses.

"Your CEO."

"Okay, I know it sounds bad-"

"That's because it is, Max."

"-but it is not as terrible as it sounds. It was very good, actually."

Rico drums his fingers on the steering wheel.

"He thinks I'm your boyfriend, by the way."

Max squeaks.

"What?"

Rico is laughing, broad hand reaching over to tangle in Max's hair. It's nothing like when Daniel does it- Rico's hand is broad where Daniel's is narrow, fingers wide where Daniel's are thin.

"Yes, he definitely does. I answered your phone and drove you in- he absolutely thinks we are together."

Max makes a very obvious glance to Rico's lap.

"Mate, we could not be together. There is a variety of reasons, but especially that one."

It takes two seconds of silence before they're both giggling. Max has seen Rico's dick before- there was an unfortunate month where the pipes would randomly stop working, so they'd swapped showers a few times- and Max can now say, having had sex, that Rico is too fucking big.

"Have fun getting that cleared up."

Max winces. He doesn't want to think about it- he's perfectly content to make that a tomorrow problem.

Rico puts the car in park, but he turns to look at Max, rests a hand on his arm.

"If he does something, or you want out, or anything- just tell me, yes? We will figure it out."

Max reaches over the center console to hug him, arms wrapping around his sides. He's always felt protected with Rico- he can practically hide in his shadow.

He knows he can rely on Rico, but what he's got going on with Daniel- whatever it's called- isn't bad. Just new.

"Thank you."

Rico squeezes him tighter.

"Anytime."

[valewosomtb]

first of all I'll never get over lucy bronze second of all i can't stop laughing at the people behind her💀💀

[chelseajackarmy]

Julián Alvarez // Argentina national team

50 years with adidas

[bellcza]

for what it’s worth messi has madr*distas crying shaking and throwing up about him winning fifa’s the best rather than celebrating their supercopa win and that’s so culer of him

[sccpmccabe]

It took me a while but I finally got a video with good video quality (at some point the audio gets shit, but that's what I managed to find) of the speech Marta gave when receiving the honor during the FIFA The Best awards ceremony today.

(I did my best to translate, but it's worth remembering that my first language is Portuguese (BR) and I don't usually speak English that often, so the text/speech may contain some errors)

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to speak in Portuguese because I want you to understand what I want to say at this moment".

"It's always difficult to go on that stage and not get emotional. I was fortunate enough to receive the best player award a few times and I think it's much easier (to receive this award) because you'll base yourself on what you did throughout the year and thank your teammates, thank everyone staff, family, but this (the tribute) is, without a doubt, much more special, it's difficult to even find words, but I want that, just as I see in this tribute, I want all women to also be able to see a promising future where it is not only directed towards football, sport, but any activity because what we seek daily through what God destined us to do is to seek to make the world a better place for everyone without distinction. It's about seeking equality, respect and I leave this message here for all those who have the power to transmit this message through what you do: do it, do it because the next generations will thank you. They will thank a Ronaldo (R9), a Zagallo, they will thank a Pelé [...] They will thank Jenni (Hermoso), who I had the pleasure of playing with in 2013 and who has evolved so much and has been doing her job on and off the field as a citizen of the world. So I want to thank FIFA and the entire football community for the honor that I am receiving in life and still in activity and I want to say that this, without a doubt, is a great motivation for us to continue seeking to evolve, because there is always the to learn and in a year of the Olympics (it inspires me to) who knows, maybe not play another one. After that I'll have the answers as to whether I'm going to continue or not, but for now, thank you very much. I'm very happy, my heart is just grateful".

[friedrice15]

So FIFA The Best Awards are out and it’s absolutely disgraceful. The bias that FIFA have against German teams in general is really showing with these nominations. We already know they’re biased against us, but this?

Dortmund went to a UCL FINAL with Kobel, the goalkeeper of the tournament; Sabitzer, who received multiple MOTM awards during the UCL, and Hummels who was the defender of the tournament and got 3 MOTM AS A DEFENDER. And only Hummels was nominated.

Harry Kane scored 40 something goals, and was close to breaking the leagues record in his first season. He should have gotten a nomination.

Martinez getting the goalkeeper awards for his World Cup 2022 performance over Kobel, the goalkeeper of the tournament is pathetic. Messi has been chilling in a retirement league, he shouldn’t be anywhere near this list, and that goes for all players in retirement leagues.

It’s crazy how we keep on getting robbed. No one will ever take our league seriously because FIFA as an organization doesn’t even take the league seriously.

[stargirlsfc]

(me whenever I see a woman wearing a suit)

[afadaily]

Quienes votaron por Leo? | Who voted for Leo to win tonight?

Mbappe 🇫🇷

Kane 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Lewandowski 🇵🇱

Modric 🇭🇷

Van Dijk 🇳🇱

Valverde 🇺🇾

Salah 🇪🇬

Lukaku 🇧🇪

Koulibaly 🇸🇳

Entre otros…

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

blaugrana dominance 💙 ❤️ and because we haven't had one of these in a while, here is your bonmatellas moment of the week (alexia's votes!)

(also bonus: this dress 🫠)

[hspn]

Emma Hayes is the 2024 Best FIFA Coach

Congratulations to Emma Hayes, the 2024 Best FIFA Women's Coach for her work with Chelsea and the USWNT.

Lucy Bronze was also named to the 2024 Best FIFA Women's XI for her time at Barcelona and Chelsea.

[miamarie1960]

Look closely at Ali ’s new tattoo 3 balloons and something written

Just added a screengrab of the tattoo

[bellcza]

aitana bonmatí | fifa the best women’s player 2024 ✨

[keiraxlucy]

Just give me a second ok

[sccpmccabe]

The tribute to her and Marta's speech made me sob with tears, she did and still does so much for women's football and doesn't get a third of the recognition she deserves. I'm very proud to be Brazilian and to be able to say with all the words that I saw the best in the world play with my country's colors and shirt, there will never be a name as big as hers. Marta is synonymous with football and passion and is now immortalized in the sport once and for all.

[everchanging-spectrum-of-a-lie]

Is she trying to kill us?