Manchester City star Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane were among the most notable players to miss out on the FIFA Best of the Year award on Tuesday. Prizes were awarded to the best male and female athletes from across the sport at an awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé helped the French team win an unprecedented quadruple title in the 2024-25 season, winning this year’s Best Men’s Player award. Under Luis Enrique, PSG won the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions, with the Spaniard beating out Arne Slott and Hansi Flick to win the Best Men’s Manager award.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bommatti has won the top women’s award after another exceptional season for the Spanish giants. The midfielder played a key role in Barça’s passage to the Women’s Champions League final and Spain’s path to the main game of the European Championship.
Meanwhile, England duo Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham have been named in the men’s best eleven for 2025. However, there was no room for Haaland and Kane in the team.
The full squad, including three Premier League stars: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, William Paccio, Virgil van Dijk, Nuno Mendes, Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Vicinha, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.
The absence of Haaland and Kane may come as a surprise to some. Both players were the most prolific scorers in world football in 2025. The Norwegian has scored 34 goals in 24/25 games in all competitions and has already scored 23 times this season.
Kane, meanwhile, scored an incredible 41 goals for Bayern last season and is already on track to do even better this season with 29.
Other winners included England women’s manager Sarina Wigman after the Lionesses became the first England senior team to retain a major international trophy. The former Netherlands national team coach was named the best women’s coach after defeating favorites Spain in the Euro 2025 final on penalties.
She said: “Thank you so much. It’s a real honor to win this award again. I would like to thank FIFA and everyone who voted. This award is for the players and the staff. We showed a lot of belief, belief and unity, which led to us winning the European Championship for the second time.”
“Together, let’s continue to move the women’s game forward and create an environment where all athletes can reach their full potential as we look to 2026.”
The Men’s Top Coach award was awarded to Enrique for PSG’s unprecedented success in the 24/25 season. Elsewhere, the FIFA Puskas Award for Best Goal went to Santiago Montiel for his stunning overhead kick for Argentina’s Independiente against Independiente Rivadavia.
