Dembele wins Fifa Best men’s player of the year

Paris St-Germain and France forward Ousmane Dembele has been named the men’s player of the year at the Fifa Best awards.

The 28-year-old, who won the Ballon d’Or in September, picked up the Fifa award in Qatar on Tuesday after helping PSG to four trophies in the 2024-25 season.

The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund player, who joined PSG in 2023, had 51 goal contributions in 53 games for Luis Enrique’s side last term.

After helping PSG to a first Champions League triumph, Dembele beat Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe to the prestigious individual award.

Dembele was present at the awards ceremony before his side’s Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo on Wednesday.

The award, which is based off events from August 2024 to August 2025, is voted for by men’s national team coaches, men’s national team captains, journalists and fans.

The Frenchman’s success underlines his status as one of the best players in the world.

Dembele initially struggled for form during the first half of the 2024-25 campaign but saw his season spark into life after being redeployed as a central forward.

Eight of his 35 goals came in the Champions League last season, including crucial strikes against Liverpool and Arsenal in the knockout stages.

Dembele joins an illustrious list of names, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, to have won the award since its inception in 2016.

In total, he has scored three goals and provided three assists for PSG across all competitions this term.

On the international stage, meanwhile, Dembele helped France qualify for next summer’s World Cup, where the two-time winners will face Senegal, Norway, and one of the play-off winners in the group stage.

Team of the year – Van Dijk and Palmer make cut
In total, six players involved in PSG’s 2024-25 season were named in the team of the year, while Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer were the only representatives who played in the Premier League last term.

The players selected were Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Man City), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Willian Pacho (PSG), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Vitinha (PSG), Pedri (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) and Ousmane Dembele (PSG).

Montiel stunner wins Puskas Award
Independiente winger Santiago Montiel won the Puskas Award for the stunning overhead kick he scored against Independiente Rivadavia in Argentina’s Primera Division.

The 25-year-old’s incredible acrobatic effort was enough to earn a 1-0 win for his side in May and left opposition goalkeeper Ezequiel Centurion rooted to the spot.

Montiel, who is the second successive Argentine to win the award after Alejandro Garnacho in 2024, said: “I didn’t think about it, I just hit it.”

Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice was shortlisted for the award for the second of two free-kicks he scored against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Donnarumma claims goalkeeper of year award
Earlier in the night, Manchester City’s Donnarumma was named the Fifa Men’s goalkeeper of the year for 2025.

The Italian shot-stopper, 26, played a key role in PSG’s Champions League triumph last season before moving to Etihad Stadium in September.

Donnarumma, who kept a clean sheet in the final against Inter Milan in May, finished ahead of Premier League goalkeepers Alisson Becker, Emi Martinez, David Raya and Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois to win the award for the first time.

In addition to the Champions League, Donnarumma helped PSG win Ligue 1, Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions titles during the 2024-25 season.

Enrique beats Slot to win coach of year
After guiding PSG to four trophies over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, Luis Enrique was crowned coach of the year on Tuesday night.

The 55-year-old, who has been at the helm since 2023, masterminded victories over Liverpool, Arsenal and Inter Milan to help the French side secure a first Champions League triumph.

The former Barcelona manager beat Liverpool’s Arne Slot and Barcelona’s Hansi Flick to the award.

However, he was unable to make the award ceremony night, with PSG’s assistant manager Rafel Pol Cabanellas accepting the award on the Spaniard’s behalf.

By BBC Sports