By Frank Ulom

DOHA (CONVERSEER) – Ousmane Dembélé has been named FIFA The Best Men’s Player after a landmark season that saw him lead Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever UEFA Champions League title and a historic domestic Treble. Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmatí also claimed the women’s award, capping another dominant year at club and international level.

Dembélé’s honour crowns an outstanding 2024–2025 campaign in which he also won the Ballon d’Or, firmly establishing himself as the world’s best male footballer.

The French forward was central to PSG’s unprecedented success, driving the club to Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Champions League glory, while also lifting the Trophée des Champions and the UEFA Super Cup. The five-trophy haul, spread across the end of the 2024–2025 season and the start of 2025–2026, marked an extraordinary peak in the club’s history.

Across all competitions, Dembélé recorded 35 goals and 16 assists, performances that proved decisive in the voting ahead of Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal. Although Yamal enjoyed a remarkable year of his own, winning a domestic treble with Barcelona and Euro 2024 with Spain to claim the Kopa Trophy, Dembélé’s leadership and influence in delivering PSG’s long-awaited Champions League triumph carried greater weight.

The award also symbolised a remarkable personal resurgence for Dembélé, whose career was once disrupted by recurring injuries. His return to sustained fitness and elite output turned his victory into one of the most widely supported outcomes of the ceremony.

In the women’s category, Bonmatí continued her era-defining dominance by winning The Best FIFA Women’s Player for a third consecutive time. Her 2024–2025 season included a domestic treble with Barcelona, as the club secured the Liga F title, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de España Femenina.

Despite Barcelona’s narrow 1–0 defeat to Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League final, Bonmatí was named Player of the Season for the third year running. She finished the competition with five assists and four goals, underlining her influence across the campaign. On the international stage, she guided Spain to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 final and was named Player of the Tournament.

The Best FIFA Football Awards are determined through an equal voting process involving national team coaches, national team captains, accredited media representatives and registered fans. Each group accounts for 25 per cent of the total vote, with points allocated to first, second and third choices. To safeguard fairness, nominated players and coaches are not permitted to vote for themselves.

Looking ahead, Dembélé is expected to focus on contract negotiations with PSG following his Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best successes, while managing ongoing injury concerns. On the pitch, his priority remains helping PSG defend their Champions League title and maintaining fitness ahead of next year’s World Cup.

For Bonmatí, attention has turned to recovery after recent leg surgery, which is set to sideline her for several months. Having committed her future to Barcelona with a long-term contract, she is targeting a strong return later in the season to spearhead another push for Women’s Champions League glory and sustain the club’s domestic dominance.