Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was one of the standout names at this year’s Best FIFA Men’s Player awards, making the top three shortlist alongside Paris Saint Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé. The 18-year-old sensation also earned a place in the FIFA Best XI, underscoring his meteoric rise and the club’s continued production of elite young talent.
In contrast, Raphinha, who scored 24 goals for Barcelona in 2025, won La Liga Player of the Season, and led the UEFA Champions League in both goals and assists, was notably absent from the final XI. His omission sparked outrage on social media, with his wife Natália Belloli commenting sarcastically: “Is Raphinha a basketball player?”
Former Barcelona stars enjoyed personal success at the awards. Dembélé, who left the club for PSG in 2023, claimed the Best FIFA Men’s Player award after a record-breaking season that included 51 goal contributions and a first-ever Champions League triumph for PSG. Luis Enrique, Barcelona’s former player and manager, was named Best FIFA Men’s Coach after guiding PSG to four trophies in 2024-25.
Barcelona midfielder Pedri also featured in the FIFA Best XI, while PSG dominated the defensive line with Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Willian Pacho, and Gianluigi Donnarumma was named goalkeeper of the year. Among the star names in the voting, Lionel Messi voted for Dembélé first, Mbappé second, and Yamal third. Meanwhile, in the coaches’ category, he voted for Luis Enrique first, Hansi Flick second, and Donnarumma top in the goalkeeper category. Another star name who voted was Robert Lewandowski, who chose Yamal first, Raphinha second, and Pedri third.
