The world football governing body, FIFA, has unveiled the shortlist for the Men’s The Best 2025 Award, featuring eleven footballers who have delivered standout performances across club and international competitions over the past year.
The list celebrates players whose individual brilliance, consistency, and impact shaped the global football narrative in 2025. Leading the pack is Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which dominates the nominations with four players.
Barcelona follows closely with three nominees, while Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Liverpool each boast one representative in the final selection.
The eleven nominees are:
- Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
- Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
- Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Pedri Gonzalez (Barcelona)
- Raphinha Diaz (Barcelona)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
- Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
According to FIFA, The Best Men’s Player Award recognizes “the footballer who has demonstrated the highest level of excellence” during the period under review, taking into account performances in both domestic leagues and international tournaments.
The next stage of the process will see national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans from around the world participate in the voting phase, which officially opens this week. The results will determine the player deemed the best in world football, with the winner to be announced at a later date during FIFA’s annual awards ceremony.
Okay News reports that the nominees reflect a new generation of football dominance, combining seasoned stars such as Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane with emerging talents like Lamine Yamal, underscoring the evolving global balance of football excellence.
