Ousmane Dembele has been named men’s player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards 2025, while Aitana Bonmati has won the women’s award for the third year running.

Dembele, 28, won the award for the first time in his career after playing a significant role as Paris Saint-Germain lifted their maiden Champions League title during the 2024-25 campaign, in addition to defending the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France.

The France international provided a career-high 35 goals and 16 assists across 53 appearances in all competitions. This included eight goals in 15 Champions League appearances, with a goal and an assist across the two-legged semi-final victory over Arsenal, before he set up two goals in the 5-0 win against Inter in the final.

The FIFA Best Award win for Dembele comes after he also won the Ballon d’Or in September, again claiming the prize for the first time in his career, ahead of Lamine Yamal and Vitinha.

Bonmati has won the women’s award for a third successive year after her important contributions to Barcelona’s domestic treble during the 2024-25 campaign, which included a sixth consecutive Liga F title. The midfielder provided 15 goals and 12 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, with Barca also reaching the Champions League final, where they were beaten by Arsenal.

Bonmati was also a significant part of the Spain side that reached the European Championship final for the first time, where they were beaten by England on penalties. Bonmati scored the winning goal in extra time of the semi-final victory over Germany and was named player of the tournament, despite having her preparation disrupted by a viral meningitis diagnosis.

Bonmati’s FIFA Best Award success comes after she was also named the Ballon d’Or winner for a third year in a row in September.

Dembele was one of six members of PSG’s quadruple-winning squad to be named in the men’s XI of the year, alongside Gianluigi Donnarumma (who has since joined Manchester City), Achraf Hakimi, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, and Vitinha.

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk completed the back five, while Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Barcelona and Spain pair Pedri and Lamine Yamal made up the side.

#TheBest FIFA Men's 11 in 2025. ✨

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2025

PSG’s Luis Enrique was named men’s coach of the year after leading the side to an historic quadruple, including the Champions League title. PSG also won the Trophee des Champions, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France — but they missed out on a fifth trophy after losing to Chelsea in the final of the Club World Cup over the summer.

Sarina Wiegman was named women’s coach of the year for the fifth time, having guided England to a second consecutive European Championship. Wiegman, 56, also won the award in 2017, 2020, 2022 and 2023.

Donnarumma collected the best men’s goalkeeper award after helping PSG to a domestic treble and their first Champions League title. The Italy international, who joined City in the summer, kept a clean sheet in the Champions League final victory over Inter and made a number of important saves in the semi-final win against Arsenal.

Hannah Hampton was named the best women’s goalkeeper following her role in Chelsea’s 2024-25 WSL title and England’s Euro 2025 triumph. The 25-year-old won the WSL golden glove and made a number of important penalty saves in the Lionesses quarter-final and final shootout victories. Both Hampton and Donnarumm also won the Yashin Trophy at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in September.

Independiente’s Santiago Montiel won the Puskas Award, the prize for the best men’s goal of the season, for his overhead kick from outside the penalty area during the Argentine Liga Professional match against Independiente Rivadavia.

We'll never tire of this goal. 🤸‍♂️

Santiago Montiel with a Puskás award winner to remember. 💫

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2025

The prize for the best goal in women’s football — the Marta Award — went to Orlando Pride’s Lizbeth Ovalle following her improvised scorpion kick for former side Tigres against Guadalajara in March’s Liga MX Femenil fixture.

The shortlists for each award are drawn up by a panel of experts and, and the awards are judged based on players’ performances between August 11, 2024 and August 2, 2025. The coaches and captains of all 211 FIFA member associations national teams select three candidates for the player, coach and goalkeeper awards, and media representatives and fans also vote in each of the categories.

Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men’s award in 2024, ahead of Rodri and Bellingham, while Lionel Messi had won the previous two editions in 2023 and 2022. Bonmati won the FIFA Best women’s award in 2024 and 2023, while compatriot Alexia Putellas won successive awards in 2022 and 2021.

The winners were named at a ceremony in Doha, Qatar, held ahead of the Intercontinental Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Wednesday.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Premier League, Soccer, International Football, La Liga, NWSL, Women's Soccer

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Alex Greenwood is leaning forward, the England and Manchester City defender scrolling excitedly through Spotify. “It’s this one, isn’t it?” she asks The Athletic as Mariah Carey tells the world in no uncertain terms precisely what she wants for Christmas.

“That’s a good one,” Greenwood declares. “My favourite’s Mistletoe, by Justin Bieber.”

“Driving home for Christmas,” team-mate Lily Murphy offers beside her, igniting an impromptu sing-along on the couch between the pair.

Greenwood and Murphy are taking a break from Jenga and spontaneous hallway kickabouts with families and patients from the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, part of the club’s City Onside programme and Christmas Together campaign, to speak to The Athletic.

“I’m injured, which is frustrating, but I come here, and I say this with the greatest respect, I feel like I’m really lucky,” says Greenwood, who sustained a minor knock during England’s November international break.

“Coming here reminds me that my injury is so small compared to what these kids are going through,” adds Murphy, who injured her shoulder in September. “It makes us really grateful that every day we get to enjoy the sport that we play.”

We should be talking about the football — specifically, the fact City are top of the Women’s Super League (WSL), six points clear of their nearest rivals and perennial champions Chelsea heading into the winter break courtesy of their 6-1 thrashing of Aston Villa on Sunday.

Yet, harping on about the football hasn’t really been the reason City are top.

“I’m going to be honest — and you’re going to hate me for this — but nothing has changed for us,” Greenwood says with an apologetic smile. “We’re aware of the table, but we’re in a really good place, playing really well, our conversations within the group, within the team are as normal as they were on matchday one.”

Greenwood’s calm is arresting. “Even on the weekend (against Leicester City), I’m sat at home watching the game, and it’s 0-0 at half-time, and I’m so relaxed,” she says of City’s eventual 3-0 win. “I’m so confident that we will find a way to win and score, and we did.”

If there has been one point of difference to City this season, it can be found in the players’ supreme confidence in their abilities.

The mentality shift has been the greatest distinction. City now play with a cool, fiery conviction, grinding out results even when performances are lacking. It is an attribute more readily associated with eight-time WSL winners Chelsea. City’s appointment of former Denmark national team manager Andree Jeglertz in the summer has marked a tangible shift.

How Jeglertz would fare in his first season in England’s top flight was a matter of debate, particularly after Denmark’s disappointing group-stage exit from Euro 2025. After City finished fourth in the WSL last season, failing to reach the heights expected of them, how much would their new manager change?

But the 53-year-old has taken a subtle approach, rather than a sledgehammer.

More responsibility has been handed to 22-year-old Laura Blindkilde Brown in midfield, who has started 10 of City’s 11 league matches this season. During international breaks when squad numbers are low, Jeglertz has incorporated training sessions with some of City’s academy boys’ sides to maintain high levels of physicality. Tactically, City are less rigid and orthodox, open to adapting styles to opponents.

Striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw remains City’s top scorer — she scored her 100th goal from 120 City appearances against Villa, then proceeded to score three more — but the attacking threat is more varied. Twelve players have scored for City this season, the most of any WSL side.

“It’s no surprise,” Greenwood says. “As much as last season was really disappointing and hard to take, the talent in the squad speaks for itself.

“At the end of the season, we looked at each other in the eye and we knew it wasn’t good enough. So we started fresh this season, loads of new faces — staff and a few players — but the core was already there. The mindset was there. It was about how we’re going to get the most out of each other.

“Andree has brought in a sense of calmness and allowed players to express themselves in their own way. His door’s always open. He’s a very open guy, but on a human level as well. He wants to get to know you as a person. That’s been a massive reason for success. And you can see now that, slowly but surely, we are improving. We’ve never not believed we can achieve something with this club.”

The 3-2 victory against Arsenal in October provides a point of reflection for the mentality shift. City twice lost their lead, and previously, they would have been expected to eventually succumb to Arsenal’s momentum. Instead, summer signing Iman Beney scored an 88th-minute winner.

“That was the moment,” Murphy says. “Arsenal are title contenders, a massive rival.

“But each game we’ve always looked like we’re going to come out the better side, even if it’s not going our way. We’ve stuck together, we’ve competed really well. We’re always looking to get that result each game, and that’s showing up throughout the team.”

It is still a long way to go until May, and City have been here before, weeks away from the finish line in the 2023-24 season, firmly in front, only to suffer defeat at the hands of Chelsea on goal difference on the final day.

But this feels different, and City will be different in the new year. Brazil winger Kerolin’s recent recovery from a “lower body injury” is a huge boost, as will be the return of Greenwood. More signings are expected in January.

For now, Greenwood and Murphy are feeling calm, relishing the present, as they have for most of the season.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Manchester City, Women's Soccer

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