Since 2016, FIFA has organized the FIFA The Best awards gala every year. Since then, the world federation no longer cooperates with “France Football” on the Ballon d’Or, but awards its own awards. The title of footballer of the year went to Robert Lewandowski twice in the past: in 2020, when the Ballon d’Or was not awarded, and in 2021, when the ZP was controversially won by Leo Messi and the Pole was second. Overall, in the years 2016-2019, the winner of the Ballon d’Or also won the FIFA The Best award every year. In turn, since 2021, out of four cases this has happened only once (Leo Messi in 2023).
Whoever wins the Ballon d’Or will win FIFA The Best? Not always
Hence, it was not at all certain that Ousmane Dembele from PSG would win the double. His victory over Yamal in the Ballon d’Or was not very clear at all, and of course there were others involved. In total, FIFA nominated eleven players for the award, and apart from the Frenchman and the Spaniard, they were also: Pedri (Barcelona), Raphinha (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Vitinha (PSG), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea) and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). Robert Lewandowski was nominated, but “only” for the eleventh season.
Yamal defeated again!
Ultimately, there was no great revenge for the Ballon d’Or. Just like a few months earlier, this time the award for the best footballer of 2025 went to Ousmane Dembele! He is the fourth Frenchman in the history of this plebiscite to stand on the podium (previously Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe), but the first winner. When Benzema won the Ballon d’Or in 2022, FIFA The Best went to Leo Messi.
The winners of FIFA The Best are selected in a vote by: captains of FIFA national teams, coaches of FIFA national teams, media representatives from FIFA countries and fans (25% each).
