Lionel Messi voted for his former Barcelona colleague Ousmane Dembélé as The Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2025.
On Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, Paris Saint-Germain winger Dembélé received the accolade, narrowly defeating Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation from Barcelona.
Dembélé’s fellow France teammate, Kylian Mbappé from Real Madrid, was also a finalist.
As the previous winner, Messi chose his ex-PSG teammate Mbappé as his second choice.
FIFA released the detailed voting results from each coach, captain, and media representative from every national federation for both the men’s and women’s categories in 2025.
– Best FIFA Men’s Player: Dembélé triumphs over Yamal and Mbappé
– Wiegman of England named FIFA’s Best Coach of the Year
Yamal, who took on Messi’s iconic Barcelona No. 10 jersey, was Messi’s third pick.
Dembélé led PSG to claim their first Champions League title, along with victories in Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. He netted 35 goals in 53 matches across all competitions.
Messi was among many to congratulate Dembélé following his victory over Yamal for the Ballon d’Or in September.
The Argentinian spent four seasons with Dembélé at Barcelona before transferring to PSG in 2021.
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