Ousmane Dembélé crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2025 after historic PSG season

Ousmane Dembélé has been named The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2025, capping a stunning year in which he spearheaded Paris Saint‑Germain’s long‑awaited conquest of Europe. The French forward finished ahead of Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé in the final voting, confirming his status as the standout performer in world football this year.​

The award, decided by a combination of national team coaches and captains, selected journalists and an online fan vote, recognised Dembélé’s decisive influence in the 2024‑25 campaign. The ceremony took place in December 2025 and added another major individual honour to the PSG attacker’s rapidly growing collection.​

Champions League hero for PSG

Dembélé’s case for the prize was built on a transformational season at PSG, where he moved into a more central attacking role and became the team’s primary reference point in the final third. He was instrumental in the club’s first ever UEFA Champions League triumph, delivering goals, assists and big‑game performances all the way to a 5–0 demolition of Inter Milan in the final.​

Across all competitions, the 28‑year‑old produced a prolific return, registering around 35 goals and 15–16 assists depending on the competition cut‑off used in different reports. Those numbers underpinned a dominant season in which PSG not only conquered Europe but also asserted their authority on the domestic front.​

Domestic dominance and trophy haul

On home soil, Dembélé helped PSG to reclaim the Ligue 1 title and lift the Coupe de France, completing a major treble alongside their Champions League success. With additional silverware from domestic and international super cups, some outlets have framed the campaign as part of an unprecedented four‑ or five‑trophy run for the Parisian giants.​

The Frenchman’s all‑round contribution – from touchline‑hugging winger to creative hub and ruthless finisher – was repeatedly highlighted as the tactical key to PSG’s evolution under their current coaching staff. His ability to unbalance defences one‑on‑one while also dictating play between the lines turned crucial knockout ties in the club’s favour.​

Beating Yamal and Mbappé

The final shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s Player brought together three of the game’s most luminous talents: Dembélé, teenage sensation Yamal and perennial superstar Mbappé. While Yamal’s breakout season at Barcelona and Mbappé’s prolific form at Real Madrid impressed voters, Dembélé’s combination of team success and individual impact ultimately proved decisive.​

Observers pointed to his performances in high‑pressure moments – particularly in the Champions League knockouts and title‑deciding league fixtures – as the edge he held over his rivals. The voting outcome continued a pattern already seen earlier in the year, where the same trio featured prominently in individual award discussions.​

Completing the Ballon d’Or–FIFA double

The Best FIFA Men’s Player crown arrives just months after Dembélé captured the Men’s Ballon d’Or, following a campaign in which he amassed 37 goals and 15 assists and was named Champions League Player of the Season. Securing both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s flagship individual prize in the same calendar year places him in an elite group of players who have dominated the global awards landscape across a single season.​

For PSG, the accolade represents a powerful validation of their project, finally aligned with European success and global recognition for their leading star. For Dembélé, it marks the definitive transformation from mercurial talent into fully realised world‑class leader, a status now etched in the game’s official honours list for 2025.​

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