On Tuesday, the FIFA Best Awards took place in Doha, Qatar, marking the most outstanding players in men’s and women’s football over the last year. Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí were the top individual winners of 2025.
Dembélé was the one who was closest to the trophy among him and other finalists such as Kylian Mbappé and prodigy Lamine Yamal, as he won the FIFA Best Men’s Player award. The French winger’s triumph was largely due to a dazzling 2024/25 season with Paris Saint-Germain in which he was a key figure in a groundbreaking quadruple that counted Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League among the trophies. Even though he has been limited by fitness issues for the current season, the fact that he was so influential during PSG’s trophy run must have sealed the deal for the voters.
Moreover, Bonmatí kept on dominating the scene in the women’s category as she clinched the FIFA Best Women’s Player award to go with her Ballon d’Or. The midfielder of Barcelona and Spain was the epitome of excellence both at club and international level, and therefore, she was the one to be awarded.
PSG coach Luis Enrique was awarded FIFA Best Men’s Coach after leading the team to unmatchable triumph, while England manager Sarina Wiegman got the women’s coaching award. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hannah Hampton were the most outstanding goalkeepers, whereas Santiago Montiel and Lizbeth Ovalle were the winners of the Puskás and Marta awards, respectively.
In addition to the awards, the Men’s and Women’s World XI were also revealed during the ceremony, which was a night of celebrating football’s best of the best.
