French footballer Ousmane Dembélé and Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmatí were crowned the best footballers of 2025 at the FIFA awards, adding to their trophy collection after also winning the men's and women's Ballon d'Or this year.
Dembélé, who was recognized with the Ballon d'Or in September, topped the award's ranking ahead of his compatriot Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid's forward, and Spanish Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's winger. The 28-year-old Dembélé shone and was instrumental in Paris Saint-Germain's stellar last season, decisively contributing to winning Ligue 1, the French Cup, the Champions League, and the European Super Cup. The player from Vernon, a former Barcelona player, replaces Brazilian Vinícius Junior, Real Madrid's winger, in the award's history.
He took first place with 50 points, 11 more than Spanish Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, and a 15-point margin over his Real Madrid compatriot Kylian Mbappé. Behind the top trio were Moroccan Achraf Hakimi (31), Brazilian Raphinha (29), Egyptian Mohamed Salah (24), Portuguese Vitinha (22), Englishman Harry Kane (14), another Portuguese Nuno Mendes (13), Spanish Pedri (12), and another Englishman, Cole Palmer (7).
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Aitana shone and was crucial in helping Barcelona reaffirm its absolute dominance in Spanish football and reach the Champions League final, which they ultimately lost to English Arsenal, and contributed to Spain's runners-up finish at the last European Championship.
The Catalan player, the first footballer to win three consecutive Ballon d'Ors, is also the first to be honored three years in a row with The Best, following her teammate Alexia Putellas' two awards in 2021 and 2022.
Aitana Bonmatí topped the award's ranking ahead of Putellas herself and Spanish international Mariona Caldentey, an Arsenal player and former teammate at the Blaugrana club.
In a recorded message, in which she appeared with a crutch in her left hand due to a fibula fracture she suffered in a training session with the Spanish national team that caused her to miss the Nations League final — in which La Roja defeated Germany — she thanked for the award and congratulated the winners.
