The Best FIFA Awards 2025: Barcelona’s Trio vs PSG’s Quartet in a Global Nominee Showdown
6 November 2025
The Best FIFA Awards 2025 Nominees Revealed
FIFA announced the nominees for The Best awards for 2025, covering performances from August 11, 2024, to August 2, 2025. The Best Men’s Player list includes 11 names, featuring four Paris Saint‑Germain stars: Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembélé, and Nuno Mendes.
Barcelona is represented by Rafinha, Lamine Yamal, and Pedri, while Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer are also in the mix, along with England’s Harry Kane and France’s Kylian Mbappé. From the Bundesliga, the English scorer Kane is highlighted for his Bayern Munich exploits, while Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or 2025 crown adds momentum to his candidacy.
The Best tradition spans multiple categories, including Best Coach, Best Goalkeeper, and the Puskás Award for the best goal, with fans’ voices encouraged through a joint voting system that also involves coaches and national team captains. The event continues to reflect football’s global reach and diverse contributors.
Categories, Nominees, and Trends to Watch
Best Player nominees are: Rafinha, Mbappé, Salah, Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Kane, Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, Dembélé, Pedri, and Cole Palmer. Best Coach contenders include Arne Slot, Enzo Maresca, Luis Enrique, Hans‑Dieter Flick, Roberto Martínez, Mikel Arteta, and Javier Aguirre.
Best Goalkeeper list features Manuel Neuer, Wojciech Szczęsny, David Raya, Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Jan Sommer, and Alisson Becker. The awards’ purpose is to recognize excellence across on‑field performance and leadership, with a transparent voting process that blends expert and fan input.
The Best FIFA Football Awards began in 2016 after FIFA split from France Football’s Ballon d’Or, aiming to create a distinct identity that honors achievements both on and off the pitch. The ceremony covers categories for male and female players and coaches, plus goalkeeper, and other honors such as the Puskás Award and fans’ tributes.
Past Winners and the Martinez Narrative
In 2024, Vinícius Júnior claimed Best Player, with Carlo Ancelotti taking Best Coach and Emiliano Martínez earning Best Goalkeeper. Martínez’s rise began with Argentina in Copa América 2021 and peaked at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where his decisive saves and presence under pressure cemented his status as one of the era’s top custodians. Since then, Martínez has remained a frequent name on The Best shortlists, even as form fluctuates, underscoring the lasting impact of his World Cup heroics.
Martínez’s ongoing visibility reflects his charisma and leadership, which keep him in the conversation among Aston Villa and Argentina fans alike. His trajectory illustrates how a goalkeeper’s legacy can endure beyond peak club form, with standout moments shaping perceptions for years to come.
A Look Ahead
The Best FIFA Awards continue to spotlight the world’s top talent across leagues, celebrating those who push the game forward. The 2025 edition promises another thrilling convergence of stories, rivalries, and late‑night transfers as fans cast votes for their favorites. And if in doubt, remember: football is a sport of moments, and the moment you blink, your favorite player might already have the golden glove—or at least a good meme.
And just to keep things light: if the trophy ever tires of being held by humans, it could always try benching itself and becoming the league’s most dedicated trophy‑keeper. Spoiler: it still wouldn’t miss a single penalty kick for drama.
