Ousmane Dembélé has been crowned FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year, a notable milestone for both PSG and France. The 28-year-old, who also claimed the Ballon d’Or in September, accepted the FIFA Best trophy in Qatar on Tuesday after a season in which he helped Paris Saint‑Germain lift four titles. Dembélé, previously with Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, joined PSG in 2023 and finished the 2024-25 campaign with 51 goal contributions across 53 appearances for Luis Enrique’s side.
His standout year included PSG’s first-ever Champions League title. He finished ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé in the final voting. Dembélé attended the awards event before PSG’s Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo the following day.
The FIFA Best award, decided from performances between August 2024 and August 2025, is determined by a panel comprising men’s national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans. Dembélé’s success reinforces his reputation as one of the world’s elite players.
Though he began the 2024-25 season slowly, a tactical shift to a central forward role sparked his form, with eight of his 35 goals coming in the Champions League, including crucial finishes against Liverpool and Arsenal in the knockout rounds. His triumph places him among an illustrious group of winners since the award’s inception in 2016, joining the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Across all competitions this season, Dembélé has tallied three goals and three assists for PSG.
On the international stage, he contributed to France’s qualification for next summer’s World Cup, where Les Bleus will meet Senegal, Norway, and one playoff winner in the group stage.
Team of the Year notes: PSG features heavily, with six players included. Virgil van Dijk and Cole Palmer, the two Premier League representatives, are the only players who spent last season in England’s top flight. The lineup also includes Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Man City), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Willian Pacho (PSG), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Vitinha (PSG), Pedri (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), and Ousmane Dembélé (PSG).
In other awards, Santiago Montiel of Independiente earned the Puskás Award for a spectacular overhead kick against Independiente Rivadavia in Argentina’s Primera División. The 25-year-old’s strike secured a 1-0 victory in May and left goalkeeper Ezequiel Centurion beaten. Montiel became the second Argentine winner in a row after Alejandro Garnacho in 2024. Declan Rice, Arsenal and England midfielder, was shortlisted for his free-kick strikes against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Gigantic save by Donnarumma: Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma claimed the FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year for 2025. The 26-year-old played a pivotal role in PSG’s Champions League triumph before moving to Manchester City in September. Donnarumma kept a clean sheet in the final against Inter Milan and finished ahead of Alisson Becker, Emi Martínez, David Raya, and Thibaut Courtois. His trophy tally for 2024-25 includes Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions, in addition to the Champions League.
Coaching honors went to Luis Enrique, who led PSG to four trophies in 2024-25. The Spaniard’s side defeated Liverpool and Arsenal and Benfica’s intercontinental triumphs, securing PSG’s first Champions League title. Enrique’s award was accepted on his behalf by PSG’s assistant coach Rafael Pol Cabanellas, after he could not attend the ceremony; he beat out Arne Slot and Hansi Flick for the honor.
