The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 nominees list: Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal go head to head for soccer prize originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. FIFA holds its annual The Best awards ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, December 16.

The awards ceremony rivals the already handed out Ballon d’Or.

A celebration of the upcoming FIFA World Cup was held Tuesday at the Gateway Center in Newark, featuring a former great player for the U.S. Men's National Team.

Aitana Bonmatí has once again been named FIFA’s best female player of the year, taking home her third consecutive The Best award. The Barcelona midfielder finished ahead of Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey and teammate Alexia Putellas, securing 52 points to Mariona’s 40 and Alexia’s 33.

Messi was not among the 11 players in contention for the Best FIFA Men's Player 2025 award, but he was able to vote for the winner. Messi voted for Ousmane Dembele as his winner, while Kylian Mbappe was second in his ranking, and Lamine Yamal as his third.