Two England stars were among the winners of the Fifa Best Awards as Gianni Infantino revealed the winners at Tuesday’s ceremony in Doha, Qatar, reports BritPanorama.
Sarina Wiegman collected the women’s coaching honour for a fifth time following England’s second consecutive European Championship victory. Chelsea and England’s Hannah Hampton took the women’s goalkeeping prize.
Ousmane Dembélé has claimed the Fifa Best men’s player award, triumphing over Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal once more following their earlier Ballon d’Or battle. The 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger collected the honour after an extraordinary twelve months that saw him lift multiple trophies with the French giants. Fifa president Gianni Infantino revealed the winner, with Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé and Yamal comprising the final shortlist.
This award caps a sensational period for the Frenchman, who secured his maiden Ballon d’Or in September before adding this latest accolade to his growing collection. Dembélé’s remarkable campaign saw PSG secure their first-ever Champions League triumph, whilst also defending their Ligue 1 crown and lifting the Coupe de France.
The France international delivered career-best numbers, netting 35 times and providing 16 assists across 53 matches in all competitions. His Champions League performances proved particularly decisive, with eight goals in 15 appearances throughout the tournament. The winger was instrumental in PSG’s semi-final victory over Arsenal, contributing a goal and an assist across both legs, before setting up two goals in the emphatic 5-0 final demolition of Inter Milan.
Aitana Bonmatí secured the women’s award for a third successive year, cementing her dominance in the women’s game. The Barcelona midfielder was pivotal in her club’s domestic treble during 2024-25, which included a sixth consecutive Liga F title, contributing 15 goals and 12 assists across 44 appearances. Spain reached their first European Championship final with Bonmatí at the heart of the team, though they fell to England on penalties.
The 27-year-old netted the decisive extra-time goal in Spain’s semi-final triumph over Germany and earned player of the tournament honours, despite her preparations being disrupted by a viral meningitis diagnosis. Luis Enrique claimed the men’s coach of the year prize after guiding PSG to a historic quadruple, including their breakthrough Champions League success. The Spaniard’s side fell short of a fifth trophy when Chelsea defeated them in the Club World Cup final. Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has since moved to Manchester City, won the men’s goalkeeper award for his crucial performances in PSG’s treble-winning campaign, which included a clean sheet in the Champions League final.
As football accolades are handed out, it’s a pertinent reminder of the relentless nature of competition, where victories are often fleeting, yet the celebrations linger, echoing through the halls of football history.
