Dembele Stuns Football World, Snatches 2025 FIFA Crown from Rising Star Yamal
Ousmane Dembélé claimed the Best FIFA Men's Player award for 2025 on Tuesday night, securing a remarkable double triumph following his Ballon d'Or victory in September.
The French forward played a crucial role in Paris Saint-Germain's historic first Champions League title, earning recognition as the year's top player ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
FIFA's recognition system differs from the Ballon d'Or as it incorporates votes from active international captains and managers, plus journalists and global supporters, yet there was unanimous agreement in selecting Dembélé as 2025's exceptional performer—his successful transition to a lethal central striker role from his traditional wide position proved particularly noteworthy.
Both Dembélé and Yamal earned spots in The Best FIFA Men's XI for the year, though Mbappé was notably absent. The midfield instead featured England's Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham alongside PSG's Vitinha and Barcelona's Pedri.
Gianluigi Donnarumma secured the goalkeeper position—having earlier claimed The FIFA Best Men's Goalkeeper honor—while the defensive line included PSG's Achraf Hakimi, Willian Pacho and Nuno Mendes, plus Liverpool's Premier League champion captain Virgil van Dijk.
Bonmati, Wiegman Wins Top Women's Prizes at FIFA Awards
Aitana Bonmatí secured The Best FIFA Women's Player title for a consecutive third year, defeating national teammates Mariona Caldentey and Alexia Putellas—her victory further cemented Barcelona's control of this honor following Putellas's previous wins in 2021 and 2022. All three players featured in The Best FIFA Women's XI consisting entirely of Spanish and English talent.
Paris Saint-Germain's Luis Enrique received The Best FIFA Men's Coach award, while Sarina Wiegman earned The Best FIFA Women's Coach recognition, prevailing over competitors including Chelsea's Sonia Bompastor and Arsenal's Renée Slegers.
Santiago Montiel of Independiente claimed the 2025 Puskas Award for his spectacular overhead kick from distance, while Lizbeth Ovalle won the FIFA Marta Award. She earned this distinction for her extraordinary scorpion-kick goal for Tigres UANL Femenil against Guadalajara Femenil—the remarkable effort served as the match-winning strike.