The Best Voting Revealed: Messi Gave More Points to Mbappé Than to Yamal

FIFA has officially released the full voting breakdown for The Best Men’s Player Award, which crowned Ousmane Dembélé as the world’s best player of 2025, succeeding last year’s winner Vinicius Junior.

Shortly after the ceremony, held in Doha, Qatar, the votes from national team captains, coaches, journalists, and fans were made public. One of the most eye-catching revelations was that Lionel Messi awarded more points to Kylian Mbappé than to Lamine Yamal, leaving the young Spanish star in third place on his ballot.

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Dembélé, a Clear Winner After a Trophy-Laden Season

Dembélé’s triumph comes after an outstanding campaign in which he won the Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, French Super Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup. The PSG winger has also added the Intercontinental Cup to his list of achievements, cementing his place at the top of the voting.

He finished ahead of Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, and Harry Kane, underlining his consistency at both club and international level.

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Messi’s Vote: Mbappé Ahead of Yamal

As Argentina’s captain, Messi placed Dembélé first, followed by Mbappé, while Lamine Yamal came third. This decision sparked debate, especially given Yamal’s prominence throughout the season.

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Why Cristiano Ronaldo Didn’t Vote

Cristiano Ronaldo did not participate in the voting process, as he was suspended for Portugal’s most recent match, meaning he did not wear the captain’s armband. Instead, Bernardo Silva represented Portugal in the voting.

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¡Tenemos ganador! 🔝

Ousmane Dembélé es el nuevo dueño del Premio #TheBest al Jugador de la FIFA 2025. 🏆

— Copa Mundial FIFA 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_es) December 16, 2025

Votes from Key Players and Coaches

National Team Captains

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

1. Dembélé
2. Mbappé
3. Lamine Yamal

Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

1. Lamine Yamal
2. Raphinha
3. Pedri

Luka Modrić (Croatia)

1. Vitinha
2. Dembélé
3. Lamine Yamal

Unai Simón (Spain)

1. Lamine Yamal
2. Pedri
3. Nuno Mendes

Harry Kane (England)

1. Dembélé
2. Vitinha
3. Mohamed Salah

Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)

1. Dembélé
2. Achraf Hakimi
3. Lamine Yamal

Joshua Kimmich (Germany)

1. Vitinha
2. Harry Kane
3. Pedri

Alphonso Davies (Canada)

1. Kane
2. Dembélé
3. Lamine Yamal

Marquinhos (Brazil)

1. Dembélé
2. Raphinha
3. Hakimi

James Rodríguez (Colombia)

1. Dembélé
2. Mbappé
3. Lamine Yamal

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

1. Hakimi
2. Dembélé
3. Mbappé

Bernardo Silva (Portugal)

1. Vitinha
2. Nuno Mendes
3. Dembélé

Martin Ødegaard (Norway)

1. Dembélé
2. Vitinha
3. Kane

Gustavo Gómez (Paraguay)

1. Dembélé
2. Lamine Yamal
3. Mbappé

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National Team Coaches

Luis de la Fuente (Spain)

1. Pedri
2. Lamine Yamal
3. Mbappé

Didier Deschamps (France)

1. Dembélé
2. Mbappé
3. Hakimi

Gennaro Gattuso (Italy)

1. Mbappé
2. Vitinha
3. Salah

Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)

1. Dembélé
2. Vitinha
3. Pedri

Roberto Martínez (Portugal)

1. Nuno Mendes
2. Vitinha
3. Lamine Yamal

Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay)

1. Mbappé
2. Raphinha
3. Pedri

Sylvinho (Albania)

1. Dembélé
2. Lamine Yamal
3. Raphinha

Mauricio Pochettino (USA)

1. Dembélé
2. Mbappé
3. Kane