H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the 16th BEYOND Developments GLOBE SOCCER Awards held on Sunday evening in Dubai.
During a glittering ceremony at the Atlantis The Royal hotel, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Ousmane Dembélé was crowned Best Men’s Player for the first time and FC Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí 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 being presented. 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).
In addition to 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.
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, 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), and Right to Dream (Best Academy).
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.
