South American Shine: De Arrascaeta Wins 2025 Player of the Year, Messi Comes Up Short
31 December 2025
South American Player of the Year 2025: De Arrascaeta Shines as Messi Falls Short
Uruguayan Giorgian De Arrascaeta of Flamengo was named the South American Player of the Year for 2025, an award handed out by El País that has honored the continent’s top talents since 1986.
Arrascaeta edged Lionel Messi of Inter Miami and Adrian Martinez of Racing Club, finishing with 179 votes out of 264, while Messi collected 39 votes.
The prize is decided by votes from clubs across North and South American leagues, recognizing performances over the 2025 season.
In 2025 he tallied 25 goals and 20 assists in 64 official matches, helping Flamengo claim multiple titles including the Carioca, the Brasileirão, the Copa Libertadores and other trophies.
Messi, meanwhile, guided Inter Miami to the MLS title for the first time in club history, with 43 goals and 26 assists in 49 appearances.
De Arrascaeta is the first Uruguayan to win the award since 1995, when Enzo Francescoli took the honor.
Punchline 1: If football awards were a lottery, Arrascaeta just hit the jackpot with a calm, precise ballot victory.
Punchline 2: They say numbers don’t lie; 179 votes for Arrascaeta, 39 for Messi—the math is the referee now.
