Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati were crowned the world’s top players at Fifa’s The Best Awards, mirroring the big winners at the Ballon d’Or earlier this year.
Dembele was instrumental in helping PSG to their first Champions League title in their history back in May, scoring 35 goals across all competitions on the way to what is French club’s holy grail.
Barcelona and Spain star Bonmati, meanwhile, picked up the award for a third successive year off the back of another stellar campaign, which saw her reach the finals of both the Women’s Champions League and Euro 2025.
Her side were pipped to the Euros title by England in Switzerland, with Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman also victorious in the awards as she was named The Best Women’s Coach.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino - fresh from the World Cup draw ceremony in Washington and the handover of another award, the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize, to Donald Trump - presented the players with the awards in Doha.
Follow along with The Independent’s live blog below.
The Best Fifa Football Awards live
- Ousmane Dembele crowned Best Men's Player after sensational year with PSG
- Aitana Bonmati named Best Women's Player for the third successive year
- Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman wins Best Women's Coach following Euro 2025 triumph
- Cole Palmer and Virgil van Dijk among Premier League contingent in Best Men's XI
- Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze and Alessia Russo in Best Women's XI as England and Spain dominate
The best in the world
20:00 , Will CastleYour #TheBest FIFA Football Awards 2025 winners! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/tc95npfpyi
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2025
Your Fifa teams of the year
19:45 , Will Castle“Mo Salah? Harry Kane? Declan Rice?”
I have no doubt you’ll all have complaints about certain players missing out... who’s been robbed?
#TheBest FIFA Men's 11 in 2025. ✨
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2025
#TheBest FIFA Women's 11 in 2025. ✨
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) December 16, 2025
Lizbeth Ovalle's Marta award winner
19:30 , Will CastleLizbeth Ovalle, take a bow.
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) December 16, 2025
A goal worthy of the Marta award. 😮💨
Santiago Montiel's stunning Puskas winner
19:15 , Will CastleStraight out of the Philippe Mexes playbook.
We'll never tire of this goal. 🤸♂️
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2025
Santiago Montiel with a Puskás award winner to remember. 💫
Aitana Bonmati: 'I will enjoy it'
19:00 , Will Castle“Nothing makes me prouder than being recognized by players, coaches, and fans for the third time in a row,” said Bonmati.
“Thank you for this award. And thanks to my teams and to the people who support me along the way.”
"I will enjoy it.”
Ousmane Dembele: 'Hard work pays off'
18:45 , Will Castle"I want to thank all my teammates, it just shows that hard work pays off," Dembele said.
"It's been a fantastic year for me, both individually and collectively. I hope to come back here again next year."
Ousmane Dembele named player of the year at Fifa awards as Sarina Wiegman wins big
18:28 , Will CastleOusmane Dembele has been named the men’s player of the year at Fifa’s The Best Awards while Lionesses coach Sarina Wiegman won big as women’s coach of the year after back-to-back Euro titles.
Dembele was instrumental in PSG's first Champions League triumph when they beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the final and scored 35 goals last season across all competitions, including 21 in Ligue 1 to finish as top scorer.
The 28-year-old, who claimed this year's Ballon d'Or in September, was part of the PSG team which also swept all before them on the domestic front last season and reached the final of the Club World Cup. They were coached by Luis Enrique, who also triumphed at the awards as men’s coach of the year.
Full report:
Ousmane Dembele named player of the year at Fifa awards as Sarina Wiegman wins big
The Best winners in full
18:10 , Will CastleMen’s Player - Ousmane Dembele, PSG
Women’s Player - Aitana Bonmati, Barcelona
Men’s Coach - Luis Enrique, PSG
Women’s Coach - Sarina Wiegman, England
Puskas Award - Santiago Montiel, Independiente
Marta Award - Lizabeth Ovalle, Tigres
Sarina Wiegman's acceptance speech in full
18:00 , Will CastleSarina Wiegman wasn’t able to attend the ceremony in Doha but Fifa had a pre-recorded acceptance speech on hand to ensure we didn’t go without a few words from the Lionesses boss.
She said: “Good evening, everyone. I'm sorry I can't be in Doha tonight, but I'm very happy that I'm still part of this evening. Thank you so much.
"It's an absolute honour to receive this award again. I'd like to thank Fifa and everyone who voted, and I'd like to congratulate Sep, Jonatan, Renee and Sonia for their achievements too.
"Thank you to the FA for their continued support for me and the team. This award is actually for players and staff. We've showed so much conviction, belief and togetherness that led us to our second Euro win.
“Moving into 2026, let's keep pushing the women's game forward together and. create an environment for every play, so they can reach their full potential."
Ousmane Dembele joins illustrious group of winners
17:51 , Will CastleOusmane Dembele is in good company as a winner of The Best award.
Tonight was tenth edition of Fifa’s awards, and there are some big names among the previous nine victors...
2024 - Vinicius Jr
2023 - Lionel Messi
2022 - Lionel Messi
2021 - Robert Lewandowski
2020 - Robert Lewandowski
2019 - Lionel Messi
2018 - Luke Modric
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo
2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo
And breathe!
17:45 , Will CastleIn and out in 45 minutes - in a complete change of pace for Fifa, that ceremony was non-stop!
We’ll bring you full quotes from the winners as well as all the reaction as Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati win big again.
Ousmane Dembele named Best Men's Player
17:40 , Will CastleThe moment has come to crown the Best Men’s Player of 2025 - and the winner is...
PSG and France forward Ousmane Dembele!
Just like with Bonmati, Dembele also picked up the top prize at the Ballon d’Or.
Aitana Bonmati named Best Women's Player
17:36 , Will CastleJust like at the Ballon d’Or, Spain superstar Aitana Bonmati is named the Best Women’s Player for 2025!
She can’t be on the ground in Doha due to her broken leg but makes her acceptance speech from Barcelona.
Fifa bombing through the awards
17:35 , Will CastleFifa have learned their lessons from the World Cup draw - this has been relentless so far!
The winner of the Best Women’s Player award is coming up. The nominees are Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey...
The Best Men's XI
17:33 , Will CastleGoalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Defenders
Achraf Hakimi
Willian Pacho
Virgil van Dijk
Nuno Mendes
Midfielders
Cole Palmer
Jude Bellingham
Vitinha
Pedro
Attackers
Lamine Yamal
Ousmane Dembele
Luis Enrique wins Best Men's Coach
17:30 , Will CastlePSG coach Luis Enrique has been named The Best Men’s Coach for 2025!
He beats off the likes of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca and Liverpool’s Arne Slot to claim the award!
The Best Women's XI
17:29 , Will CastleGoalkeeper
Hannah Hampton
Defenders
Lucy Bronze
Leah Williamson
Irene Paredes
Ona Batlle
Midfielders
Patricia Guijarro
Aitana Bonmati
Claudia Pina
Attackers
Mariona Caldentey
Alessia Russo
Alexia Putellas
What a year for Sarina Wiegman
17:26 , Will CastleWiegman beats off Sonia Bompastor, Jonatan Giraldez, Seb Hines and Renee Slegers to the award.
A sensational year for England’s gaffer.
Sarina Wiegman named Best Women's Coach
17:23 , Will CastleAnd the winner is... England’s very own Sarina Wiegman!
The Lionesses coach picks up the award after leading her side to back-to-back Euros!
She isn’t in attendance to take to the stage but gives us a nice pre-recorded acceptance speech.
Santiago Montiel wins Puskas Award
17:21 , Will CastleAnother one that was announced earlier, Santiago Montiel has been named this year’s Puskas Winner!
He scored a stunning bicycle kick from outside the box for Independiente back in May.
Lizabeth Ovalle wins Marta Award
17:19 , Will CastleLizbeth Ovalle has picked up the award for her outrageous scorpion kick-style finish for Tigres against Guadalajara.
Mariona Caldentey and Marta finished behind the eventual winner.
Gianni Infantino arrives on stage as ceremony begins
17:16 , Will CastleThe Best Fifa Awards ceremony has kicked off in Doha, and everyone’s favourite footballing personality Gianni Infantino has taken to the stage for his introductory remarks.
He gives a nod to the audience in attendance, labelling them “the best public”, before addressing “those at home who would like to be in this room with you”.
I’m sure plenty would have loved to be here. Maybe they couldn’t afford the tickets.
How does voting work?
17:14 , Chris WilsonThe winners of each category are determined by an international jury, which features the current coaches and captains of all men’s national teams, a football journalist representing each nation with a team, and registered fans on Fifa’s website.
Each group selects their top three players, keepers and coaches, with each group having the same influence on the outcome - no group is weighted more heavily than the others.
Representatives of each national team can vote for players and coaches of the team they represent; journalists can vote for players, keepers and coaches from their country or those who play for clubs affiliated to their country. Registered fans can vote for anyone.
The top three nominees for each group earn five points, three points and one point respectively, with the winner accumulating the most points.
There is also a Fifa-appointed panel of experts who hold some sway, although who exactly sits on that panel won’t be revealed until after the results come out.
What awards will be handed out?
17:08 , Chris WilsonMen’s awards:
- Best Fifa men's player
- Best Fifa men's goalkeeper
- Best Fifa men's coach
- Fifa Puskas Award (best goal of the year)
- Fifa Fifpro men's World XI
Women’s awards:
- Best Fifa women's player
- Best Fifa women's goalkeeper
- Best Fifa women's coach
- Fifa Marta Award (best goal of the year)
- Fifa Fifpro women's World XI
There will also be two additional gongs handed out, the Fifa Fan award andFifa fair play award.
Who are the hosts?
17:03 , Chris WilsonJuventus legend Alessandro Del Piero and Swiss actress and model Melanie Winiger will host the ceremony tonight.
Del Piero is the Italy men's national team's second-highest goalscorer and won six Serie A titles with Juve, and he was nominated for prestigious individual awards including the Ballon d'Or and Fifa World Player of the Year during his career.
When are the Fifa Best Awards?
16:50 , Chris WilsonHere’s a brief reminder of when the awards take place, with coverage starting in around five minutes on Fifa+.
The annual ceremony takes place tonight in Doha, Qatar, and will be streamed live from 5pm GMT on Fifa’s official website.
Lizbeth Ovalle wins Marta Award
16:45 , Chris WilsonLizbeth Ovalle has won the 2025 FIFA Marta Award for the best goal in the women's game.
The Mexico winger produced a superb scorpion-kick finish for Tigres against Guadalajara in Liga MX Femenil in March.
Santiago Montiel wins Puskas Award
16:41 , Chris WilsonArgentinian winger Santiago Montiel has won the men’s Puskas Award for best goal.
The 25-year-old, who plays for Independiente in his native Argentina, scored an incredible bicycle kick against Independiente Rivadavia back in May in the country’s domestic league.
We'll never tire of this goal. 🤸♂️
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2025
Santiago Montiel with a Puskás award winner to remember. 💫
Other awards
16:38 , Flo CliffordAll-star teams - the Best Fifa men’s and women’s XI - will also be announced at the ceremony, determined purely by fan votes.
The Fifa Fan Award is another up for grabs, given to an individual or group of supporters who “help make the beautiful game exactly that”, in Fifa’s words.
The nominees are:
- Alejandro Ciganotto (Racing Club de Avellaneda)
- Manuel Caceres (Spain)
- Zakho SC fans
Fifa Puskas Award nominees (best goal of the year)
16:34 , Flo Clifford- Alerrandro (Vitoria vs. Cruzeiro)
- Alessandro Deiola (Cagliari vs. Venezia)
- Pedro de la Vega (Cruz Azul vs. Seattle Sounders)
- Santiago Montiel (Independiente vs. Independiente Rivadavia)
- Amr Nasser (Costa Rica vs. Honduras)
- Carlos Orrantia (Queretaro vs. Atlas)
- Lucas Ribeiro (Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal vs. Real Madrid)
- Rizky Ridho (Persija Jakarta vs. Arema)
- Kevin Rodrigues (Kasimpasa vs. Rizespor)
- Lamine Yamal (Espanyol vs. Barcelona)
Fifa Marta Award nominees (best goal of the year)
16:31 , Flo Clifford- Jordyn Bugg (North Carolina Courage vs. Seattle Reign)
- Mariona Caldentey (Lyon vs. Arsenal)
- Ashley Cheatley (Brentford vs. Ascot United)
- Kyra Cooney-Cross (Germany vs. Australia)
- Jon Ryong-jong (North Korea U-20 vs. Argentina U-20)
- Marta (Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current)
- Vivianne Miedema (Wales vs. Netherlands)
- Kishi Nunez (Argentina U-20 vs. Costa Rica U-20)
- Lizbeth Ovalle (Tigres vs. Guadalajara)
- Ally Sentnor (USA vs. Colombia
- Khadija Shaw (Hammarby vs. Man City)
Hampton wins women's 'keeper award
16:23 , Chris WilsonEngland and Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has won the women’s best goalkeeper award, having played a huge part in the Lionesses’ Euros win in summer.
Hampton also won the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or in September, and thanked her managers "for the belief in me this year".
"With club and country, we have achieved so much and there is still much more for us to go and get," she said.
"To the fans, both club and country, your support doesn't go unnoticed.
"We hear you cheering every single game loud and proud and it helps push us on to go and get the win for you all. So, thank you very much,” she said.
Gianluigi Donnarumma wins men's goalkeeper award
16:19 , Chris WilsonManhester City ‘keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has won the men’s best goalkeeper award, having been key to PSG’s Champions League win last season.
The Italian won the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or in September, and has been a success so far during his time at City, quickly taking the number one spot from James Trafford.
Best Fifa women's coach contenders
16:02 , Flo Clifford- Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea)
- Jonatan Giraldez (Barcelona)
- Seb Hines (Orlando Pride)
- Renee Slegers (Arsenal)
- Sarina Wiegman (England)
Best Fifa men's coach contenders
15:54 , Flo Clifford- Javier Aguirre (Mexico)
- Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
- Luis Enrique (PSG)
- Hansi Flick (Bayern Munich)
- Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)
- Roberto Martinez (Portugal)
- Arne Slot (Liverpool)
Best Fifa women's player contenders
15:46 , Flo Clifford- Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea / France)
- Nathalie Bjorn (Chelsea / Sweden)
- Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona / Spain)
- Lucy Bronze (Chelsea / England)
- Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal / Spain)
- Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current / Malawi)
- Kadidatou Diani (Lyon / France)
- Melchie Dumornay (Lyon / Haiti)
- Patri Guijarro (Barcelona / Spain)
- Lindsey Heaps (Lyon / USA)
- Lauren James (Chelsea / England)
- Chloe Kelly (Arsenal / England)
- Ewa Pajor (Barcelona / Poland)
- Claudia Pina (Barcelona / Spain)
- Alexia Putellas (Barcelona / Spain)
- Alessi Russo (Arsenal / England)
- Leah Williamson (Arsenal / England)
Best Fifa men's player contenders
15:38 , Flo Clifford- Ousmane Dembele (PSG / France)
- Achraf Hakimi (PSG / Morocco)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich / England)
- Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid / France)
- Nuno Mendes (PSG / Portugal)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea / England)
- Pedri (Barcelona / Spain)
- Raphina (Barcelona / Brazil)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool / Egypt)
- Vitinha (PSG / Portugal)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Fifa Best Awards
15:32 , Flo CliffordPerformances between 11 August 2024 and 2 August 2025 have been taken into consideration so those players who excelled in the 2024-25 season, in tournaments such as the Champions League, domestic leagues, Women’s Euros and Club World Cup will be winning awards.
How does voting work?
15:27 , Flo CliffordThe winners of each category are determined by an international jury, which features the current coaches and captains of all men’s national teams, a football journalist representing each nation with a team, and registered fans on Fifa’s website.
Each group selects their top three players, keepers and coaches, with each group having the same influence on the outcome - no group is weighted more heavily than the others.
Representatives of each national team can vote for players and coaches of the team they represent; journalists can vote for players, keepers and coaches from their country or those who play for clubs affiliated to their country. Registered fans can vote for anyone.
The top three nominees for each group earn five points, three points and one point respectively, with the winner accumulating the most points.
There is also a Fifa-appointed panel of experts who hold some sway, although who exactly sits on that panel won’t be revealed until after the results come out.
What awards will be handed out?
15:17 , Flo CliffordMen’s awards:
- Best Fifa men's player
- Best Fifa men's goalkeeper
- Best Fifa men's coach
- Fifa Puskas Award (best goal of the year)
- Fifa Fifpro men's World XI
Women’s awards:
- Best Fifa women's player
- Best Fifa women's goalkeeper
- Best Fifa women's coach
- Fifa Marta Award (best goal of the year)
- Fifa Fifpro women's World XI
There will also be two additional gongs handed out, the Fifa Fan award and Fifa fair play award.
When are the Fifa Best Awards?
15:10 , Flo CliffordThe annual ceremony takes place tonight in Doha, Qatar, and will be streamed live from 5pm GMT on Fifa’s official website.
What are the Fifa Best Awards?
15:05 , Flo CliffordOnce known as the Fifa World Player of the Year, Fifa switched to the current title for its awards ceremony in 2016.
It’s been going on for more than 30 years, intended to recognise the best players, coaches, and goals throughout the year.
It’s essentially Fifa’s in-house answer to the more prestigious and widely known Ballon d’Or.
Good afternoon
15:00 , Flo CliffordHello and welcome to The Independent’s live blog of the Fifa Best Awards.
Follow all the build-up to tonight’s ceremony in Qatar, live from 5pm, as well as results and reaction here.
