This Tuesday, December 16th, Fifa is promoting the The Best 2025 awards ceremony in Doha, at Catar. The event recognizes the highlights of world football this season, starting at 8pm local time, equivalent to 2pm Brasília time. The awards ceremony is attended by around 800 guests and takes place on the eve of the Copa Intercontinental final.
Raphinha, Barcelona striker, represents Brasil as the only finalist in the best male player category. Ele competes with big names in European football in a list of 11 nominees. The vote involved millions of fans around the world, as well as national team captains, coaches and journalists.
The The Best award, created by Fifa in 2016, evaluates performances in club and national team competitions. Esta edition considers the period between August 2024 and August 2025, including achievements in national leagues and international tournaments.
Where to watch the awards live
The ceremony will be broadcast free of charge on the official Fifa website and on the FIFA+ platform. No Brasil, channels such as SporTV, Disney+ and ESPN’s YouTube offer complete coverage of the event. Outras options include sports channels that have acquired rights to broadcast live.
These platforms allow real-time monitoring, with expert narration and comments. The broadcast begins just before 2pm on Brasília to cover guest arrivals and preliminary announcements.
Nominees for the best male player award
The main category brings together 11 athletes from elite European clubs. Raphinha stands out as the Brazilian representative, alongside players like Ousmane Dembélé, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé.
- Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain, França)
- Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Marrocos)
- Harry Kane (Bayern from Munique, Inglaterra)
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, França)
- Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea, Inglaterra)
- Pedri (Barcelona, Espanha)
- Raphinha (Barcelona, Brasil)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egito)
- Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Espanha)
These names reflect decisive performances in national and continental championships. The dispute promises balance, with several nominees coming from recent champion teams.
Brazilian presence in other categories
Brasil has a strong presence in the season’s selection, with 11 players nominated including goalkeepers, defenders and attackers. Alisson, from Liverpool, competes for the best goalkeeper award.
Other names include Fábio (Fluminense), Weverton (Palmeiras) and John (Botafogo) among the goalkeepers. In defense, there are Thiago Silva (Fluminense), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain) and Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal).
In attack, in addition to Raphinha, there are João Pedro (Chelsea) and Luiz Henrique (Botafogo). Essa list demonstrates the influence of Brazilian athletes in different leagues.
Women’s categories and coaches
In the women’s category, 17 players compete for the main prize, with no Brazilian representatives. Aitana Bonmatí, from Barcelona, appears as one of the favorites after recent achievements.
Among the coaches, five names are competing, including coaches from European champion clubs. For men, seven coaches are nominated, with emphasis on commanders of victorious teams in international competitions.
These categories complete the recognition of football professionals. The awards also include trophies for best goal and fair play.
Voting process and criteria
Fifa uses a balanced voting system to determine the winners. Torcedores contributed more than 16 million online votes, representing 25% of the total weight.
Team captains, national coaches and specialized journalists complete the electoral college. Cada group awards points to the top three in each category.
The criteria prioritize performance on the field, collective achievements and sporting conduct. The evaluated period covers a full season of global competitions.
Location and context of the event
Doha hosts the ceremony at Fairmont Katara Hall, at a gala dinner. The choice of the Qatari capital reinforces the program of football events in the country.
The event precedes the Copa Intercontinental final, adding relevance to the calendar. Convidados include football legends, managers and nominees present.
This integration highlights Fifa’s role in promoting sport globally. The award reinforces annual traditions of recognizing talent.
Other awards of the night
In addition to the main categories, Fifa announces the ideal male and female selection. Prêmios as well as Puskás, for best goal, and Fan Award, for crowd, are also delivered.
These trophies value different aspects of football. Anúncios preliminaries take place on digital platforms before the main ceremony.
The night celebrates collective and individual achievements of the season. Vencedores receive official recognition from the sport’s highest entity.
