1 week ago
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The Best Awards
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Ousmane Dembélé has won the FIFA Best Player of the Year award. The Paris Saint-Germain star received the award at a FIFA gala in Doha. The Frenchman won the award ahead of his compatriot Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona). The award for the best female player went to Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona). Among the players nominated was also Bayern Munich star striker and England captain Harry Kane.
Among goalkeepers, Gianluigi Donnarumma from Man City won the award. The Italian received the award for his outstanding performances for PSG last season. The 26-year-old was part of the Parisians' winning their first-ever Champions League title last season. Among the women, England’s Hannah Hampton from Chelsea won the award.
Dembélé also won this year’s Ballon d’Or. Now he has completed a double. It isn’t common for players to win both awards. Last year, Rodri (Man City) won the more prestigious Ballon d’Or, while Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) was named FIFA's best player.
PSG four nominations: Dembélé beat out Mbappé and Yamal
PSG had several players nominated: Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, and Nuno Mendes. Among the players eligible to be selected were also Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Pedri (all Barcelona), and Real’s forward Kylian Mbappé, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Donnarumma beat out Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alisson (Liverpool), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), David Raya (Arsenal), Wojciech Szczesny (Barcelona) and Yann Sommer (Inter Milan).
Luis Enrique from PSG won the award for best coach. Enrique beat out Hansi Flick (Barcelona), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Arne Slot (Liverpool), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), and national team coaches Roberto Martínez (Portugal) and Javier Aguirre (Mexico).
Finally, the Puskas Award for the most spectacular goal of the season went to Santiago Montiel. The winger from Independiente scored with a bicycle kick against Independiente Rivadavia in May 2025. “I didn’t think much, I just did it,” the 25-year-old Argentine with a market value of €3.5m said after scoring his goal.
Other regulations than the Ballon d'Or
FIFA has awarded the World Footballer of the Year Award since 1991. Between 2010 and 2015, FIFA cooperated with the Amaury Group, and the award was known as the Ballon d’Or. Now there are once again two prices for the best footballer in the world. Unlike the Ballon d’Or, where only journalists decide, FIFA also collects votes from national team coaches, captains, and fans. Together with 200 media members, they make up 50% of the vote.
