Lionel Messi has been left off the 11-player shortlist for the 2025 FIFA The Best Men's Player award, marking the first time since the award's inception in 2016. Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland were also absent from the list announced on November 6. The shortlist features players from PSG and Barcelona prominently, with Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal as favorites.
FIFA revealed the nominees for the 2025 The Best awards on November 6, covering player achievements from August 11, 2024, to August 2, 2025. The selection was made by a committee, and for the Best Men's Player category, the 11 shortlisted players include four from Paris Saint-Germain: Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, and Nuno Mendes. Barcelona contributes three: Pedri, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal. Rounding out the list are Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid, Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, and Cole Palmer of Chelsea.
Notable absences include Lionel Messi, who holds a record three The Best awards and had been nominated for nine straight years. Last year, despite playing in MLS, he placed sixth. Cristiano Ronaldo, a two-time winner, missed out for the fourth consecutive year, last nominated in 2021. Erling Haaland, nominated the previous four editions, was excluded despite scoring 34 goals in the 2024-2025 season; Manchester City's early Champions League exit factored into the decision.
Dembele emerges as the top contender after his role in PSG's treble-winning season and finishing first in the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Lamine Yamal, second in the Ballon d'Or, is a close favorite. In the Best Coach category, PSG's Luis Enrique is nominated alongside Arne Slot of Liverpool, Mikel Arteta of Arsenal, and Hansi Flick of Barcelona. For women's football, Aitana Bonmati leads after her third straight Ballon d'Or.
The awards, started by FIFA in 2016 after splitting from France Football, are determined by votes from national team coaches and captains, journalists, and fans, closing on November 28.