The Best 2025 XI Revealed: Snubs, Triumphs, and a Dembele Dream
16 December 2025
The Best XI for 2025 is unveiled
FIFA revealed the The Best XI for 2025 during the The Best awards ceremony held on December 16, 2025 in Doha, Qatar. The lineup sparked discussion for who was included and who was left out, with Kylian Mbappé, Rafinha, and Mohamed Salah notably absent despite standout campaigns.
Mbappé had captured the Golden Boot for the season, Rafinha helped Barcelona to a domestic treble, and Salah contributed clearly to Liverpool’s Premier League title and goals tally.
Lineup in full
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma. Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Willian Batshuayi, Virgil van Dijk, Nuno Mendes. Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Pedri, Vitinha, Cole Palmer. Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé.
In a notable twist, Dembélé was named the 2025 Best Player after his contributions to Paris Saint‑Germain’s historic treble and their first European crown in the club’s history.
Context and light-hearted take
The ceremony showcased performances over drama, but fans will debate snubs for ages—football’s version of reality TV, just with more footwork and fewer confessionals. And predicting the XI is tougher than listing every Champions League winner since 1992.
Punchlines aside, football remains unpredictable, and so do my attempts at predicting lineups: I’d still bet on a twist in the final minutes.
Punchline 2: If defending were as easy as naming an XI, every team would be world champions with perfect eyebrows.
