The Best FIFA Football Awards don’t exactly leave much open to interpretation. As the thoroughly thought-out name suggests, the annual award ceremony singles out the elite across the sport.
In direct competition with France Football’s Ballon d’Or, the unique selling point of The Best is not its branding but its format. While the prestigious individual created by the French magazine is exclusively decided by journalists, an even split of current players, managers, fans and media vote on The Best awards.
This more varied pool of judges have been tasked with deciphering the standout performers from men’s and women’s football, both on the pitch and in the dugout. Here’s a full rundown of everyone who fit the criteria for The Best.
Luis Enrique was rewarded for Paris Saint-Germain’s all-conquering 2024–25 campaign with the prize for the best men’s coach of the year. Seven previous managers had failed to take advantage of PSG’s riches until Enrique firmly shed the “bling-bling” era to lead a young, full-throttle side to Champions League glory in May.
Nominees
At what point are they going to rename this award after Sarina Wiegman? England’s manager scooped the award for the fifth time since 2017 after leading the Lionesses to the Euro 2025 title.
Nominees
Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma claimed the top prize for shot-stoppers this year. As much as his yellow-card collecting has been appreciating at the Etihad, the Italy captain owes this particular gong to his heroics with Paris Saint-Germain, playing an instrumental role in the club’s continued domestic dominance and their first-ever Champions League crown.
PSG’s decision to let the best goalkeeper in the world leave for just £26 million ($34.9 million) this summer looks stranger each day.
Nominees
Hannah Hampton crowned a triumphant year with the best goalkeeper award. After a WSL-winning campaign with Chelsea, the 25-year-old was instrumental to England’s unlikely Euro 2025 victory.
Nominees
Santiago Montiel of Argentine outfit Independiente was given the honour of scoring the best goal in men’s football over the past year with an elastic overhead kick against Independiente Rivadavia in May. Beating out the likes of Declan Rice’s free kick against Real Madrid and Lamine Yamal’s curler for Barcelona, Montiel’s effort wasn’t the product of any grand plan. “I didn’t think about it, I just hit it,” he said at the time.
Nominees
Lizbeth Ovalle’s unique effort for Tigres against Guadalajara in March took the Marta prize for the best goal in women’s football. Ovalle had her back to goal as Jenni Hermoso’s cross came swinging into the box, contorting her body to fling her heel at the ball, sending some sort of crunched scorpion kick in a beguiling loop into the far corner.