FIFA Best winners and team of the year as Haaland and Kane snubbed | Football | Sport
Manchester City star Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane were among the most notable names to miss out on an award at Tuesday’s Fifa Best Awards. The ceremony in Doha, Qatar, saw prizes awarded to the best men’s and women’s players from across the game.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele picked up the award for this year’s best men’s player after helping the French side win an unprecedented quadruple in 2024/25. PSG won the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophee des Champions under Luis Enrique, earning the Spaniard the best men’s coach award ahead of Arne Slot and Hansi Flick.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati picked up the women’s top award after another exceptional season for the Spanish giants. The midfielder played a key role in Barca’s run to the women’s Champions League final and Spain’s route to the European Championship showpiece match.
Meanwhile, England duo Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham were named in the best men’s XI for 2025. However, there was no room for Haaland and Kane in the team.
The full team, which included three Premier League stars, was as follows: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, William Pacho, Virgil van Dijk, Nuno Mendes, Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Vitinha, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.
Haaland and Kane’s omission may surprise some, with both being two of world football’s most prolific goalscorers in 2025. The Norwegian netted 34 goals across all competitions in 24/25 and has already found the back of the net 23 times so far this term.
Kane, meanwhile, scored an astonishing 41 goals for Bayern last season and is on track for an even better return this term with 29 already.
Other award winners included England women’s boss Sarina Wiegman after the Lionesses became the first senior England team to retain a major international trophy. The former Netherlands boss was crowned the best women’s coach after her side beat favourites Spain on penalties in the Euro 2025 final.
She said: “Thank you so much, it is an absolute honour to receive this award again. I would like to thank FIFA and everyone who voted. This award is for players and staff. We have shown so much conviction, belief, and togetherness, which led us to our second European Championship win.
“Moving into 2026, let’s keep pushing the women’s game forward together and create an environment for every player to reach their full potential.”
The men’s top coach award was handed to Enrique for PSG’s unprecedented success in 24/25. Elsewhere, the Fifa Puskas Award for best goal was awarded to Santiago Montiel for his spectacular overhead kick for Argentinian outfit Independiente against Independiente Rivadavia.
