Yamal, Kane, and Dembele headline 2025 FIFA The Best nominations

Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, and Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele have been named among the 11 nominees for the 2025 FIFA The Best Men’s Player award. 

The shortlist sets up another thrilling individual showdown between Yamal and Dembele, who were the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or, an accolade Dembele ultimately claimed following a treble-winning campaign with PSG.

The Best FIFA Football Awards, relaunched in 2017, celebrate the most outstanding players and coaches in world football. Winners are determined by a weighted voting system involving national team captains and coaches, journalists, and fans. 

The award recognises performances over a specific season rather than a calendar year and is widely regarded as one of football’s most prestigious honours. In recent years, Lionel Messi, Vinicius Junior, and Aitana Bonmati have all claimed top honours.

Dembele’s nomination follows a sensational year in which he inspired PSG to Champions League and Ligue 1 glory, also earning the Champions League Player of the Season award.

Meanwhile, Yamal’s inclusion caps a breakout year for the 17-year-old, who helped Barcelona to a domestic treble and led Spain to victory at Euro 2024. 

Kane also features prominently after winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and finishing as the league’s top scorer for the second straight season. Other nominees include Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Pedri, Cole Palmer, and Vitinha.

FIFA has yet to confirm the exact date and venue for the 2025 awards ceremony, which is expected to take place early next year. The previous edition was held in Doha in December 2024, following London’s hosting in January 2024. 

As always, The Best awards are expected to provide an early indication of potential Ballon d’Or frontrunners, with Yamal, Dembele, and Bonmati once again poised to battle for football’s ultimate individual prize.