The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025: Full nominees list for players, coaches

Inside a ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel in Doha, in front of around 800 FIFA guests, mostly federation officials and former legends, soccer’s governing body will announce the winners of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 this Tuesday, December 16 at noon ET. The ceremony is intentionally low-key, mirroring last year’s scaled-down event that honored Vinicius.

The timing is no accident. PSG are already in Qatar to play the Intercontinental Cup final, and many of the expected winners are tied to the French champions, making logistics far simpler for FIFA.

Dembele, Luis Enrique and Aitana lead the favorites

Ousmane Dembélé and PSG head coach Luis Enrique are widely expected to take home the men’s player and coach awards. On the women’s side, Aitana Bonmati could claim The Best for a third straight year, just months after winning another Ballon d’Or.

Bonmati will not be in Doha, however. The Barcelona star is currently recovering from recent surgery. PSG’s dominance could extend further, with the club strongly represented in the men’s World XI. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, now with Manchester City after leaving PSG, is also the favorite to win best men’s goalkeeper.

How the voting works

FIFA announced the ceremony just two days in advance, but emphasized the democratic nature of the voting. National team coaches account for 25 percent of the vote, national team captains another 25 percent, journalists 25 percent and fans the final 25 percent through FIFA’s official website.

PSG’s historic season drives the nominations

PSG’s remarkable year makes the Paris club the clear favorite across multiple categories. In addition to winning Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, they finally lifted the UEFA Champions League last season. They also reached the final of FIFA’s Club World Cup, organized by the same body that presents The Best awards.

More honors on the night

Beyond the main categories, FIFA will also hand out the Puskas Award for best goal and the Fair Play Award. There is even speculation that Manolo “el del Bombo,” the iconic Spanish superfan known for his drum, could receive a posthumous honor recognizing decades of passionate support for Spain’s national team.

The Best FIFA Men’s Player finalists

• Pedri, Barcelona
• Lamine Yamal, Barcelona
• Raphinha, Barcelona
• Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid
• Ousmane Dembele, PSG
• Vitinha, PSG
• Nuno Mendes, PSG
• Achraf Hakimi, PSG
• Harry Kane, Bayern Munich
• Cole Palmer, Chelsea
• Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

The Best FIFA Women’s Player finalists

• Aitana Bonmati, Barcelona
• Patri Guijarro, Barcelona
• Claudia Pina, Barcelona
• Alexia Putellas, Barcelona
• Mariona Caldentey, Arsenal
• Ewa Pajor, Barcelona
• Alessia Russo, Arsenal
• Leah Williamson, Arsenal
• Chloe Kelly, Manchester City and Arsenal
• Sandy Baltimore, Chelsea
• Nathalie Bjorn, Chelsea
• Lucy Bronze, Chelsea
• Lauren James, Chelsea
• Kadidiatou Diani, Lyon
• Melchie Dumornay, Lyon
• Lindsey Heaps, Lyon
• Temwa Chawinga, Kansas City Current

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach finalists

• Luis Enrique, PSG
• Mikel Arteta, Arsenal
• Roberto Martinez, Portugal
• Hansi Flick, Barcelona
• Javier Aguirre, Mexico
• Enzo Maresca, Chelsea
• Arne Slot, Liverpool

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach finalists

• Jonatan Giraldez, Washington Spirit and Lyon
• Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea
• Seb Hines, Orlando Pride
• Renee Slegers, Arsenal
• Sarina Wiegman, England

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper finalists

• David Raya, Arsenal
• Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid
• Wojciech Szczesny, Barcelona
• Alisson Becker, Liverpool
• Emiliano Martinez, Aston Villa
• Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich
• Yann Sommer, Inter Milan
• Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG and Manchester City

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper finalists

• Cata Coll, Barcelona
• Ann-Katrin Berger, Gotham FC
• Christiane Endler, Lyon
• Hannah Hampton, Chelsea
• Anna Moorhouse, Orlando Pride
• Chiamaka Nnadozie, Paris FC and Brighton
• Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Manchester United

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