Advertisement
Advertisement
Lionel Messi has voted in favour of former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembele for the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award, it has been revealed following the release of official voting details by world football’s governing body.
FIFA published the ballots of national team captains, coaches and selected media representatives from each member association after the awards ceremony in Doha, where Dembele was crowned the 2025 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year.
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and France forward finished ahead of Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, with Kylian Mbappe placing third.
Messi, who had previously won the award, named Mbappe as his second choice, while opting for Yamal, the teenager who had inherited his iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt, as his third pick.
Dembele’s triumph capped a remarkable season in which he played a pivotal role in PSG’s historic campaign.
Under Luis Enrique, the French winger enjoyed the most prolific spell of his career, scoring 35 goals across all competitions, including 21 in Ligue 1 to finish as the league’s top scorer.
His standout performances were central to PSG’s maiden UEFA Champions League title, highlighted by a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final.
The Paris club also completed a historic continental treble, becoming the first French side to win the Champions League, domestic league and main domestic cup in the same season, before going on to reach the Club World Cup final.
Dembele’s stellar year had already been recognised earlier when he won the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or, edging out Yamal, who finished second, while PSG midfielder Vitinha placed third.
The award made Dembele the first French player to claim the Ballon d’Or since Karim Benzema in 2022.
Lionel Messi was among those to publicly congratulate Ousmane Dembele following his Ballon d’Or success, further underlining the respect he commands among football’s elite.
READ: England Ashes dreams on life-support as Australia rip through batting
