Lionel Messi’s ballot at the 2025 FIFA The Best Men’s Player awards has offered a fascinating insight into the mind of football’s most decorated individual. In a vote that carried both symbolic and sporting weight, the Argentine maestro selected his former Barcelona team-mate Ousmane Dembélé as the world’s finest male footballer of the year.
The award was officially presented on Tuesday evening at a glittering ceremony in Doha, Qatar, where Dembélé, now a key figure at Paris Saint-Germain, was crowned FIFA The Best Men’s Player 2025. The French winger emerged victorious from an elite shortlist that included Barcelona’s prodigious teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s global icon Kylian Mbappé.
Messi’s personal vote placed Dembélé at number one, followed by Mbappé in second place and Yamal third—an ordering that underlined both experience and excellence. FIFA later confirmed that the full voting breakdown had been released, with votes cast by national team captains, head coaches, and a designated media representative from every football federation worldwide, ensuring a broad and transparent electoral process.
A Season for the Ages :
For Ousmane Dembélé, 2025 will be remembered as a defining year. As the attacking spearhead of PSG, he inspired the Parisian club to an unprecedented treble—lifting the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history, alongside domestic triumphs in Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. Across all competitions, Dembélé registered an outstanding 35 goals in 53 appearances, combining devastating pace with a newfound consistency and leadership.
Messi’s endorsement carried added resonance given their shared past. The two spent four seasons together at Barcelona, forging a formidable partnership before Messi’s move to PSG in 2021. Even after Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or triumph in September, Messi was among the first to offer public congratulations—an act that now appears prophetic.
Voting Snapshot :
| Category | Player | Club (2025) |
| Messi’s 1st Choice | Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Messi’s 2nd Choice | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid |
| Messi’s 3rd Choice | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona |
| Goals in 2025 Season | Dembélé – 35 | PSG |
| Matches Played | Dembélé – 53 | PSG |
A Vote That Echoes Legacy :
To receive FIFA’s highest individual honour is a career-defining achievement in itself. To do so with the explicit backing of Lionel Messi elevates it further. For Dembélé, this recognition is not merely a reward for goals and trophies, but an affirmation of his evolution into one of football’s true standard-bearers.
As the game continues to usher in a new generation of stars, Messi’s vote serves as both a seal of approval and a passing of the torch—one champion acknowledging another at the summit of world football.