Sporting stars, along with local and international dignitaries, were among the thousand guests at Aspire Academy's spectacular 20th-anniversary Gala Dinner in the Aspire Dome.Among the stunning highlights of the evening was the unveiling of The Best FIFA Awards by footballing legends, including former Italy internationals Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon.The memorable event was graced by distinguished guests, alumni, significant figures from Aspire Academy’s illustrious past and officials from Qatar sporting federations.It was also an opportunity for Aspire Academy’s staff, teachers, and coaches to be honoured for their unwavering support of the student-athletes and the Academy’s 20 years of unparalleled success.Thanks to the collaboration with FIFA, its President, Gianni Infantino, members of its Council, and players from Spanish football giants Real Madrid were in attendance.As the evening unfolded in front of the captivated audience, it proved to be a fitting tribute to Aspire Academy’s contribution and impact on global sports development over the past two decades.As befitting of the celebrations, two former student-athletes were key participants in the proceedings. 2020 graduate and endurance athlete Hamza Eid Ahmed Hamiti gave a powerful recitation from the Holy Quran. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was fencer Ali Turki Owaida, who graduated from Aspire Academy in 2017.Aspire Academy’s commitment to unlocking the potential of young sportspeople was symbolised by a stunning choreographed routine entitled “Inspiration.” The performance used the wings of the Aspire Academy logo, representing sport and education, to create the image of talented youngsters being lifted to success.The impact that Aspire Academy has had on global sport was underlined by FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he addressed guests:“Aspire Academy has done a remarkable job over the past 20 years, educating and developing young boys, many of whom are now champions on and off the field. The academy has produced 70% of Qatar’s national football team, which won back-to-back Asian Cups and represented the country at the FIFA World Cup 2022. Aspire is not just about sports—it is about dreams, opportunities, and inspiration for the youth of Qatar and beyond.”Following his speech, Infantino was on hand to help celebrate and honour some of the key figures from Aspire Academy’s illustrious past 20 years. Many of them were in attendance as he presented them with specially designed awards.HE Sultan bin Saad Al MuraikhiHE Khaled bin Ghanem Al AliHE Salah bin Ghanem Al AliAhmed Abdel Rahman Al-SayedAman Hussien JawharBadr Al HayDr Hazem Faris AnbatawiDr Hazem Maher AmmarAdel Abdel Rahman Al-SayedAbdulrahman BuhumaidNasser Ahmed Al-ShibeDr Andreas BleicherDr Dieter HackfortGisela HackfortThe late Engineer Hilal bin Jaham Al-Kuwari and Yahya Shaker were also remembered and celebrated.The award-giving continued, with the winners of the ninth edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards unveiled. Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior was on hand at the gala dinner to pick up the Best FIFA Men’s Player award and became the first Brazilian to do so. For the second year in a row, Barcelona and Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí won the women's award.The Aspire Academy Director General Ivan Bravo hailed this latest collaboration with FIFA, saying: “It is a testament to the incredible work that Aspire Academy has done over the last 20 years that this anniversary Gala Dinner is another project that we are doing in collaboration with FIFA. In 2022, ahead of the World Cup here in Qatar, we partnered with FIFA to organise the Aspire Academy Global Summit. It is a privilege to welcome him back to Aspire Academy to help celebrate the Academy’s 20th Anniversary and to reveal the winners of the Best FIFA awards. Reaching this 20-year milestone is thanks to all the people who have been involved in Aspire Academy since before we opened our doors. We will not be resting on our laurels, and our pursuit of excellence will continue as we develop more champions for Qatar in the future.”The breathtaking Gala Dinner highlighted how Aspire Academy has transformed the dreams of youngsters in Qatar into reality. It concluded with a short film reflecting on how those hopes can be realised. “Mansour’s Dream: Be a Star” paid homage to Aspire Academy’s origins, drawing inspiration from a musical performance at the 2005 opening ceremony. The film illustrated the transformative journey of a young boy with hopes of being a star athlete and how Aspire Academy can help achieve those dreams. The thousand guests were then treated to a stirring performance by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra of the Aspire Academy Anthem, as well as a short concert of classical music to end the evening in style.Ali Salem Afifa, Deputy Director General of Aspire Academy, hailed the Gala Dinner as a fitting way to mark an incredible milestone.“We are proud to mark Aspire Academy’s 20th anniversary with this majestic celebration, which took on extra significance with the partnership to host The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024. This is another incredible milestone to reflect two decades of ambition, dedication, and remarkable achievements. Today’s event motivates us to aim higher as we continue building a brighter future for sports in Qatar and beyond.”