FIFA The Best 2025: Who votes for the best player in the world award? Find out!
FIFA will announce the winners of the best male and female players in the world award at the tenth edition of The Best awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, the day before the 2025 Intercontinental Cup final, at 2 pm (Brasilia time). Unlike the Ballon d’Or, where only journalists participate, the FIFA award has four different voting categories: captains and coaches of national teams (men’s and women’s), journalists from member countries, and fans from around the world .
FIFA has awarded the best male player in the world since 1991, and the best female player since 2001. The FIFA The Best award, in its current format, was created in 2016. The award for best male player in the world was once combined with the Ballon d’Or, the traditional trophy awarded by France Football, between 2010 and 2015. However, the two awards are now separate and have different voting methods.
On its official website, FIFA reported that more than 16 million fans participated in the vote, which ended on November 28.
“Fans played a key role in choosing the winners, registering more than 16 million votes and influencing the outcome of several awards, including: The Best FIFA for Women’s Player of the Year, The Best FIFA for Men’s Player of the Year, The Best FIFA for Women’s Coach of the Year, The Best FIFA for Men’s Coach of the Year, The Best FIFA for Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, and The Best FIFA for Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year,” reads an excerpt from the organization’s statement.
According to FIFA, “all these award winners were determined by a voting system with equal weight given to fans, captains, coaches of all women’s and men’s national teams, as well as media representatives.” Fans also participated in the voting for the 2025 women’s and men’s national teams.
Each voter chooses the three best players of the season, ranking them as follows: first place receives five points; second place, three; and third place, one. This score is used to rank the competitors in each voter category (captains, coaches, journalists, and fans). Then, a new score is assigned to each player within each group.
Thirteen points are awarded to the athlete with the most votes in each voting category; eleven to second place, nine to third, eight to fourth, seven to fifth, six to sixth, five to seventh, four to eighth, three to ninth, two to tenth, and one to eleventh. The sum of these scores, with the weights of each category already equalized, determines the winner of each trophy.
Raphinha is the only Brazilian nominated for The Best.
The following evaluation period for athletes and coaches should be used for voting: between August 11, 2024, and August 2, 2025, referring to the 2024/25 season. FIFA indicates that the awards should take into account “sporting performance and overall behavior on and off the field.” Captains and coaches of national teams may vote for athletes and coaches of the teams they represent, but may not vote for themselves. The same criteria and voting method for best male and female player apply to the awards for best goalkeeper and best coach in men’s and women’s football.
In the case of the season’s selections in men’s and women’s football, the voting is carried out among voters on the official FIFA website and among a panel of experts. Each fan and each member of the panel assembles their ideal team, choosing 11 players from three tactical formation options – with a maximum of four defenders, four midfielders and three forwards, plus one goalkeeper.
In total, ten awards will be given out: for the best male and female player; best male and female goalkeeper; best male or female coach in men’s and women’s football; the Puskás Award and the Marta Award, for the most beautiful goals; the Fan Award; and the Fair Play Trophy.
Barcelona forward Raphinha is the only Brazilian representative among the 11 finalists for the 2025 World Player of the Year award. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain is the favorite – he traveled with the PSG delegation to Qatar, even while recovering from a muscle injury and with his presence in Wednesday’s final against Flamengo still unconfirmed.
Liverpool’s Alisson represents Brazil in the best goalkeeper election, with seven other competitors. Among the women, there are 17 names on the final list – which does not include any Brazilians. The list of finalists in women’s football is dominated by clubs such as Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Lyon.
Marta is competing for an award bearing her name.
There are 11 Brazilians in contention to join the men’s team of the season : goalkeepers Alisson (Liverpool), Fábio (Fluminense), Weverton (Palmeiras) and John (Botafogo); defenders Thiago Silva (Fluminense), Marquinhos (PSG), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal); and forwards João Pedro (Chelsea), Raphinha (Barcelona) and Luiz Henrique (Botafogo).
Two Brazilians are competing for the Puskás Award for the most beautiful goal : striker Alerrandro, from Vitória, for the goal he scored against Cruzeiro in the Brazilian Championship, and Lucas Ribeiro, from Mamelodi Sundowns, against Borussia Dortmund in the Club World Cup.
Among the women, Brazil has six nominees for the team of the season : goalkeepers Lorena (KC Current), Lorena and Nicole (Corinthians), defenders Mariza (Corinthians) and Tarciane (Lyon), and forwards Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras) and Marta (Orlando Pride).
Marta is also competing for the award that bears her name, for the most beautiful goal in women’s soccer . The number 10 of the Brazilian national team won the first edition of the trophy last year with a goal scored for Brazil in a friendly against Jamaica, and this year she was nominated for a spectacular goal for Orlando Pride against KC Current, in her team’s run to the title of the US women’s league.
Time and where to watch the FIFA The Best 2025 live:
- Date: December 16, 2025
- Time: 2 PM (Brasilia time)
- Location: Doha, Qatar
- Where to watch: Fifa+ (streaming)
The prizes that will be awarded are:
- Best player in the world
- Best player in the world
- Best coach in men’s football
- Best coach in women’s soccer
- Best goalkeeper
- Best goalkeeper
- Puskás Award – given to the most beautiful goal in men’s football.
- Marta Award – given to the most beautiful goal in women’s football.
- FIFA Fan Award – given to a fan or group of fans.
- FIFA Fair Play rewards the sportsmanship of an athlete or club.