On Thursday, FIFA revealed the 11 finalists for The Best award, which annually honors the world’s most outstanding soccer player. For the first time in his professional career, Lionel Messi will be missing from the final list, with Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal considered the main favorites.
After his impressive debut season with Real Madrid, combined with his strong performances in the current campaign, Mbappe has a great chance of winning The Best award. This would be his first trophy, considering he came close in 2022 (finishing second) and 2023 (finishing third).
Yamal, meanwhile, has an edge with a stronger 2024–25 season than Mbappe, as Barcelona won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España, in addition to reaching the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. However, his inconsistent start to the current campaign could be a negative factor.
The third major contender for this year’s The Best award is Ousmane Dembele. He recently won the Ballon d’Or just over a month ago, in recognition of his outstanding performances with Paris Saint-Germain. Similar to Yamal, he faces a downside in the form of recurring injuries, which have made his second half of 2025 very limited.
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