The year 2025 brought an entirely new and exciting chapter in the world of football, as some of the biggest names in sports conquered the pitch with their remarkable performances setting new standards. A few of the best players not only made their teams' victories in Europe's leading leagues, the UEFA Champions League, and their respective countries' national teams, but also shone through the rest.
So here is a list of top 10 best footballers of 2025. These very footballers got nominated among the Best FIFA Men’s Player nominees, thus, demonstrating through their various attributes like goals, creativity, consistency, and leadership the magnitude of their impact.
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Ousmane Dembele (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Bursting through defenses time after time, Dembele featured in 53 games across every tournament, finding the back of the net 27 times while setting up teammates on 16 separate instances. What stood out wasn’t just the goals or assists - it was how naturally he wove unpredictability into tight spaces, staying consistent under shifting pressures. At PSG, that blend of spark and steadiness carved a role few others could fill, quietly placing him among the game's most influential figures.
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Lamine Yamal (Spain/Barcelona)
At the end of the year 2025, Yamal had scored a total of eight times net in his nineteen matches, thus, keeping the momentum of the previous season (which was a breakthrough for him) going. This earlier run - the 2024/25 season - saw him feature fifty-three times for Barcelona, and he scored eighteen goals and provided twenty-one assists.
He reached a new landmark when he became the youngest ever player to complete one hundred matches for the club, then scored in El Clásico that same year during their taking of three domestic titles. The next season, 2025/26, he did not lose his rhythm and kept on having the same influence on the pitch with his excellent performances.
Kylian Mbappé (France/Real Madrid)
A season that turned heads, the Real Madrid star Mbappé's debut campaign with Real Madrid in 2024/25 delivered sharp numbers, topping LaLiga’s scoring charts with 31 strikes from 34 appearances. Across every competition, he found the net 42 times, earning both the European Golden Boot and Spain’s Pichichi honor. Now into 2025/26, eight goals in Europe swell to nine when counting recent tallies, showing form hasn’t dipped even under heavier expectations. Performance stays steady where few manage to linger so high for so long.
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG)
Achieving standout numbers during 2024/25 at PSG, Hakimi found the net nine times while supplying 14 assists - marking the highest combined tally ever recorded by a defender in a single campaign. Not far behind those stats came his influence on silverware, contributing meaningfully to the club’s successful runs. The 2025 African Footballer of the Year award brought along recognition as the player took it home. We are already in 2025/26 and his influence is still there, playing from the right wing again he is creating the game with his, in the form of, and through his, continuing to be the one who gets the most and the one who makes the most at the end of the game.
Harry Kane (England/Bayern Munich)
By 2025, Kane hadn’t slowed down one bit for his team Bayern Munich as his tally shows of 26 goals and eight assists sealed the Bundesliga top scorer title by season’s end. Midway through 2025/26, the pattern held firm: 19 strikes across just 15 games, three assists, plus multiple hat-tricks tucked into the run. When big wins took shape, he showed up without fanfare. Even in quieter stretches, his influence surfaced exactly when it mattered most.
Nuno Mendes (Portugal/PSG)
By 2025, Mendes had settled into his role at Paris Saint-Germain - not just present, but pivotal - finding the net four times while setting up another four. Across tournaments, he logged over 2,300 minutes, most often seen surging down the left flank. Sharp delivery and relentless movement marked his game, feeding into moments that kept PSG in contention throughout the campaign. It wasn’t flash or noise but it was his steady presence when the team needed momentum.
Cole Palmer (England/Chelsea)
That year, Palmer stood out at Chelsea more than expected. Scoring 15 times in the league across 37 appearances, his presence shaped much of their attacking rhythm. Eight assists added depth to his contribution - 23 goal involvements overall, a quiet kind of dominance. His knack for finding space and finishing cleanly set him apart from others up front. By season’s end, few English forwards matched his output or consistency. Efficiency defined his game got recognition followed without fanfare.
Pedri (Spain/Barcelona)
Midway through 2025, Pedri still anchors Barcelona’s flow - calm, consistent, even when interruptions arise. In the previous campaign, spanning 55 matches, he scored six goals, added three assists, and guided transitions without flash or fuss. Through thirteen games of the current term, his tally stands at two strikes and a single assist. Time out due to injury clipped his momentum briefly, though his function stays unchanged as his threading moves, holding pace, offering stability amid turbulence.
Raphinha (Brazil/Barcelona)
Midway through 2025/26, Raphinha continues to shape Barcelona’s frontline - eight goals, three assists across twenty-two outings so far. The previous campaign? A standout: thirty-four strikes paired with twenty-five creators’ touches in fifty-seven appearances, anchoring a clean sweep of local honors. Recognition followed, including top individual honours in Spain’s league. Momentum hasn’t dipped sharply since. Performances remain threaded into the team's rhythm, less explosive than last year, yet consistently present where it counts.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)
Midway through 2024/25, Liverpool leaned heavily on Salah up front. In 38 Premier League games, he found the net 29 times adding to this he made 18 assists and a total 47 goal involvements, a steady stream feeding their title hopes. As the next campaign unfolded, his role didn’t shift; instead, production flowed quietly through him again. Scoring stayed consistent. Assists kept arriving. The offense hummed, less from spectacle than reliance on one unflashy presence making things happen.