The Best FIFA Football Awards recognize the best players, managers and goalkeepers across the globe in a lavish ceremony backed by soccer’s governing body.
Often pitted against the Ballon d’Or, the Best FIFA Football Awards stand toe-to-toe with France Football’s prize as the two highest individual accolades in the sport. The biggest names across the men’s and women’s game, from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí, have even won both honors.
The time has come, though, for the next winners of the 2025 Best FIFA Football Awards to be crowned in Qatar on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Of the illustrious list of nominees, only a select few will hear their names called at Fairmont Katara Hall.
The process of determining which players to honor at the ceremony is a bit more complex than the Ballon d’Or voting format. In fact, players and fans get to have their say in the outcome.
Here are the nominees for the 2025 Best FIFA Football Awards and how the voting process works.
Best FIFA Men’s Player 2025 Nominees
- Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
- Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)
- Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)
- Raphinha (Barcelona, Brazil)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)
- Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Much like the battle for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal are the two frontrunners to take home the best FIFA Men’s Player award.
The Frenchman has the slight edge over the teenager, though, and not just because of the Ballon d’Or currently sitting in his trophy cabinet; Dembélé helped deliver PSG’s first-ever Champions League trophy in 2024–25.
Best FIFA Women’s Player 2025 Nominees
- Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea, France)
- Nathalie Björn (Chelsea, Sweden)
- Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona, Spain)
- Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England)
- Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, Spain)
- Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi)
- Kadidiatou Diani (OL Lyonnes, France)
- Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes, Haiti)
- Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)
- Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, USWNT)
- Lauren James (Chelsea, England)
- Chloe Kelly (Manchester City, Arsenal, England)
- Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)
- Clàudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain)
- Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)
- Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England)
- Leah Williamson (Arsenal, England)
Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey, the winner and runner-up of the 2025 Ballon d’Or Féminin respectively, lead the race to take home this year’s Best FIFA Women’s Player award.
Should the Barcelona star take home the prize for the third year in a row, she will break her tie with fellow teammate Putellas to become the first player in history to win the Best FIFA Women’s Player award three times.
Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 Voting Format
Four major parties vote for the Best FIFA Football Awards: managers, captains, journalists and fans. Each sector comprises 25% of the total tally that will determine which players end the night with a new piece of silverware.
Managers and Captains
The managers and captains of all 211 FIFA Member Associations’ men’s national teams will vote for their outstanding three candidates for each of the three men’s awards: Best FIFA Men’s Player, Best FIFA Men’s Coach and Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper.
Similarly, the managers and captains of all 211 FIFA Member Associations’ women’s national teams will cast their votes for their top three candidates for each of the three women's awards: Best FIFA Women’s Player, Best FIFA Women’s Coach and Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper.
Journalists and Fans
The other 50% of the votes come from various media representatives and the general public. FIFA allows a select number of journalists who cover the men’s and women’s games to have their say in choosing the ceremony’s award winners.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or voting, fans can also make their voices heard. Those who registered at FIFA.com before the deadline were able to cast their votes for each award to potentially sway the names read aloud on Tuesday evening.
Points Breakdown
Players will receive a certain number of points based on where each voter ranks them in their top three. Each ranking is assigned the following value:
- First: Five points
- Second: Three points
- Third: One point
The nominee with the most points across all four voting groups will be crowned the winner of each respective award.
Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 Voting Rules
The captains and managers of the participating national teams are allowed to vote for nominees from their respective countries. For instance, as the captain of Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo can vote for Roberto Martínez to win the Best FIFA Men’s Coach award and Nuno Mendes to win the Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
Similarly, journalists can vote for nominees who are from their own country or who represent clubs from their own country.
However nominated captains and managers are not allowed to vote for themselves. France captain Kylian Mbappé, for example, is ineligible to list his name as one of his three picks for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Does The Best FIFA Football Awards Voting Work? Nominees, Format Explained.