Ousmane Dembélé was crowned the winner of the 2025 FIFA The Best award following the votes cast by captains of FIFA-affiliated national teams. As Lionel Messi’s ballot became public, questions quickly emerged over why Cristiano Ronaldo did not take part in the voting process despite his long-standing role as Portugal’s captain.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, the selection process for The Best includes votes from national team coaches and captains, along with media representatives and fan voting in certain categories. In his role as Argentina’s captain, Messi participated in the process despite not being nominated for The Best for the first time in 18 years.
Still, even though he was not among the contenders for either the Best XI or the main award, Messi took part in voting across multiple categories. For Best Player of the Year, the Argentine legend selected Ousmane Dembélé in first place, followed by Kylian Mbappé in second and Lamine Yamal in third, with the latter two finishing in different positions than in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
After backing his former teammate Dembélé as the top player, Messi also selected familiar names for Best Coach of the Year. He voted PSG’s Luis Enrique first, FC Barcelona’s Hansi Flick second, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta third.
Ousmane Dembele awarded with 2025 FIFA The Best.
For Best Goalkeeper of the Year, Messi’s ballot surprised many fans. He selected former PSG teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma in first place, ahead of Argentina’s Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez in second, with Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois rounding out the top three.
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Ousmane Dembélé joins elite club with Messi and Ronaldo after winning FIFA The Best and Ballon d’Or in 2025
Why didn’t Cristiano Ronaldo vote in The Best?
When FIFA released the full breakdown of votes from players, coaches, and media representatives, Cristiano Ronaldo’s name was absent. Instead, Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva cast Portugal’s ballot, selecting Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and Dembélé as his top three for The Best award.
Although Ronaldo typically wears the captain’s armband for Portugal, he was not listed as the official voting captain, mirroring the past two editions, when Silva and Pepe were responsible for submitting the votes. This has become a recurring situation, as Ronaldo has publicly stated that individual awards have lost credibility for him, a stance he has reiterated in discussions surrounding both The Best and the Ballon d’Or.
