FIFA The Best 2025 should belong to Yamal

For the second consecutive time in 2025, Ousmane Dembele has once again surpassed Lamine Yamal in the race for the year's most prestigious individual award. Dembele deserves it, but Yamal is more fitting to win FIFA The Best.

That doesn’t mean Dembele is undeserving of The Best. However, with Yamal’s outstanding performances this past season, even outshining Dembele at times, he also deserves recognition—not just a token spot in the best XI of the year, which holds no real value for players. Only clear individual awards like the Ballon d'Or or FIFA The Best truly measure and acknowledge what they merit.

In any case, these major individual awards will sooner or later be claimed by the 18-year-old talent who just delivered a magical assist against Guadalajara, helping Barca secure a 2-0 victory and advance in the 2025/26 Copa del Rey. Still, Yamal’s absence from the two biggest individual awards in 2025 shocked fans who admire him. We won’t say FIFA was unfair or manipulated the vote. The ballots were almost all visible on social media, and to this day, everyone agrees the votes—from experts, coaches, to national team captains—were legitimate.

So far, Yamal has emerged as Barcelona’s new precious gem and an ideal role model for true football lovers. At just 18, wearing the legendary number 10 jersey inherited from Lionel Messi, he has consistently showcased talent, personality, and decisive impact in the most crucial matches this season. We should also recall that Barca’s domestic treble in 2024/25 was largely thanks to Yamal. Competing against Dembele, who achieved a legendary treble with PSG, Yamal lost out in both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best races. Statistics seem to favor Dembele, but Yamal’s influence and context in matches offer a different perspective, enough to believe he deserves the FIFA The Best 2025 award.

Dembele contributed to 46 goals and assists, 7 more than Yamal, with greater scoring and chance creation. However, the Barca star played over 1,200 more minutes in a more competitive league and cup than the French league. That is undeniable. The 18-year-old talent also shined on the biggest stages. Specifically, Yamal excelled in El Clasico matches against Real Madrid (with 5 assists and goals in 4 games), scoring and assisting in key La Liga, Spanish Super Cup, and Copa del Rey matches.

Moreover, Yamal scored against strong opponents like Atletico, Bilbao, and Villarreal, and delivered memorable performances in the Champions League, including a brace against Benfica and a stunning goal in the Nations League semifinal against France, where he outshone Dembele in their direct title showdown. Many argue Yamal performed consistently all season, whereas Dembele only hit top form in the latter half and during two-thirds of 2025.

In the 2025/26 season, Dembele scored 5 goals and had 4 assists in 15 matches, totaling 686 minutes. Meanwhile, Dembele recorded 8 goals and 11 assists in 19 games with 1,596 minutes played. Dembele’s limited appearances were due to injuries, and Yamal also missed some Barca matches for similar reasons. There were perfect moments when Yamal made fans rise and applaud. Dembele hasn’t been bad since the new season started but can’t match Yamal. People tend to remember Dembele more for his past than his present.

Yamal’s consistent performances have clearly set him apart from teammates, with many fans seeing him as Barcelona’s new symbol of victory after Messi’s era. Therefore, many feel disappointed seeing the 18-year-old lose two of the most prestigious awards in 2025. Some even believe FIFA should have been more “fair” to Yamal, for example, awarding the recent prize to the Spanish star instead of honoring Dembele again. Yamal is not the type to let emotions cloud his judgment or to be easily satisfied like Vinicius. He will surely use this as motivation to excel even more in the rest of the season.

Currently, only Erling Haaland stands as Yamal’s toughest rival judging by form and momentum, while Dembele is not yet a major threat. Yamal’s challenge is maintaining consistency. Additionally, he needs to win the Champions League or the upcoming 2026 World Cup to secure his recognition. However, winning such titles in even years with events like EURO or World Cup is never easy. Whether Yamal can overcome these challenges to claim the Ballon d’Or, FIFA The Best, or both remains uncertain.