Ousmane Dembele named FIFA World Player of the Year

The global football spotlight has shifted decisively to Zurich as Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele has been named the winner of the FIFA The Best 2025 award.

The announcement caps a season of high-profile performances, defining moments and consistency at the highest levels of the sport.

For Dembele, the recognition represents a turning point that changes his status within modern football.

In domestic and international competitions, his impact has gone beyond statistics, expressed through his leadership in crucial matches and his resilience under pressure – elements that resonated strongly with voters around the world.

However, individual glory at this level automatically brings a broader perspective.

With this victory, Dembele joins a select group of football’s elite, immediately drawing comparisons with key figures in the history of the award: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Winning “The Best” places Ousmane Dembele in an exclusive class of players whose seasons surpass team success alone.

While the award reflects a single championship, its historical weight often shapes discussions about careers and long-term legacies.

Messi has won three “FIFA The Best” awards (2019, 2022, 2023), highlighting his enduring influence at different stages of his career and consolidating his place in football history.

Cristiano Ronaldo has won two “FIFA The Best” awards (2016, 2017), both during his best years at Real Madrid, highlighting a period when his individual dominance was perfectly matched by team success.

As the discussions around Dembele continue to unfold, his triumph in 2025 now serves as a crucial benchmark – a standard that will shape comparisons, expectations and debates about his legacy for years to come.