Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí were the major winners at the 16th BEYOND Developments GLOBE SOCCER Awards held on Sunday evening in Dubai. During a glittering ceremony at the ultra-luxury Atlantis The Royal hotel, Paris Saint-Germain forward Dembélé was crowned Best Men’s Player for the first time and FC Barcelona midfielder Bonmatí made history by being named Best Women’s Player for a third consecutive year.
Attended by world football’s most celebrated players, decision-makers, legends, and rising stars, the 2025 edition of the GLOBE SOCCER Awards saw more than 20 awards presented on the night. French giants PSG, capping off an extraordinary year in which they won the UEFA Champions League and Super Cup, Ligue 1, and Coupe de France, were named Best Men’s Club, while individual awards went to Luis Enrique (Best Coach), Vitinha (Best Midfielder), Désiré Doué (Emerging Player), Luis Campos (Best Sporting Director), and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (Best President).
Upon receiving his first GLOBE SOCCER Award for Best Men’s Player, Dembélé said on the stage: “The first half of the season was a bit more difficult, but there was a lot of work being poured into what happened in the second half. You have to work hard always and continue at it. And then when the moments that were hard to beat arrived, I just kept at it and now find myself where I am now.”
As well as celebrating Bonmatí’s Best Women’s Player honour, it was a big night for FC Barcelona as they won the Best Women’s Club trophy. Barça’s 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal also secured a double after being presented with the Best Forward award and the Maradona Award in recognition of getting people off their seats and creating moments that last forever. Spain international Yamal said: “I don’t want to be compared to anybody, because people, like the legends like Cristiano, actually have made their own path, and that’s what I want to do.”
One of the highlights of the evening saw Cristiano Ronaldo announce, in partnership with GLOBE SOCCER, the first Globe Sports Award. Recognising game changers from the world of sport, Ronaldo stepped up on stage to present the award to tennis icon Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Al Nassr and Portugal star Ronaldo, who was also named the Best Middle East Player, said: “We have a similar story, so I think it’s deserved because you are a great example for this generation, the older generation, and the generation to come, so you deserve it.
“Football is our life – it’s my life. But for me, sport means more than only football. For me, this is a new era, so we have to open our minds forthe other sports. This is why we create this amazing award, in my opinion, and because the world needs to see different things with huge quality.”
Globe Sports Award winner Djokovic said: “To be here tonight is a privilege and honour, obviously, receiving an award from another sporting legend is a dream come true. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this. I’m a big fan of football. I came here to obviously celebrate the incredible year that all of the football stars were having, and I was caught off guard, but in a positive way, so I couldn’t be happier.”
Career awards were presented to Spaniard Andrés Iniesta, who scored the winning goal for his country in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final against the Netherlands, and to former Japan midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, a two-time AFC Player of the Year and Serie A winner with AS Roma. In a tribute, a special award was presented to the parents of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who tragically died in a car accident alongside his younger brother Andre Silva in July.
During the invite-only event in Dubai, awards were also presented to Jorge Mendes (Best Agent), Portugal (Best National Team), Paul Pogba (Comeback Award), Los Angeles Football Club (Best Club Branding), Nicoletta Romanazzi (Best Mental Coach), Right to Dream (Best Academy), and to Bilal Haddad (Koora Break Best Content Creator).
Nine core categories at this year’s awards – Best Men’s Player, Best Women’s Player, Best Men’s Club, Best Women’s Club, Best Coach, Best Midfielder, Best Forward, Emerging Player, and Best Middle East Player – were decided by more than 30 million fans’ votes during two global voting windows. The final winners were then determined by a combination of fan votes and the GLOBE SOCCER Jury, made up of legendary names such as Marcello Lippi, Francesco Totti, Iker Casillas, and Luis Figo.
Tommaso Bendoni, Founder and CEO of GLOBE SOCCER, said: “The 16th GLOBE SOCCER Awards delivered an unforgettable celebration of football, bringing together the world’s greatest players, coaches, executives and legends in Dubai. This year’s winners represent excellence at the very highest level of the game, and we are proud to honour their achievements on a global stage. The incredible engagement from fans, alongside the expertise of our distinguished Jury, once again demonstrated the unique spirit of the GLOBE SOCCER Awards. We thank all our partners, supporters and the football community for making this edition truly special.”
It was also a special night for Spain’s LALIGA EA SPORTS as the country’s top-flight presented the winners of its 2024-2025 season awards. FC Barcelona trio Raphinha, Hansi Flick, and Yamal were named Best Player, Best Coach, and Best Emerging Player respectively. The Best Goal award went to Real Sociedad midfielder Luka Sučić, while the Best Save award was presented to Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
BEYOND Developments was the Title Sponsor of the GLOBE SOCCER Awards for the second successive year. For the 2025 edition, Saltanat Diamond Gallery was Presenting Sponsor, LALIGA Awards was a Strategic Partner, and Atlantis The Royal Dubai was Host Venue. Platinum Sponsors included Jacob & Co, Saudi National Bank, SMC, OnePlayr, Mansory, KHK & Partners, Jetex, AGMC, and Doğuş Hospitality & Retail. Gold Sponsors were Silversands North Coast, Tiqmo, National Paints, OP7.io, SB International, Access Nations, Al Arabia, XTB, Mahd Sports Academy, and Shibo. Media partners included CNN, SKY, Koora Break, MARCA, La Presse, TikTok, IMAGO, and SportBusiness.
For more information about the GLOBE SOCCER Awards visit www.globesoccer.com and get.globesoccer.com
