The Best FIFA Men's Player award votes: Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Virgil van Dijk and Thomas Tuchel's top picks for 2025 revealed

Dembele won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League in the 2024-25 campaign which means it was no surprise to see him clinch The Best FIFA Men's Player award as well. The French star's exploits have also seen him pick up the Ballon d'Or after a season where he finished with 51 goal contributions in 53 games for Luis Enrique's all-conquering side. "I want to thank all my teammates, it just shows that hard work pays off," Dembele said after picking up yet another trophy. "It's been a fantastic year for me, both individually and collectively. I hope to come back here again next year."

Dembele played alongside Messi at Barcelona before moving to PSG and got his former team-mate's vote. The Argentina skipper placed Dembele as his top pick, with another former PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe second and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal third. Dembele actually managed to secure more first-place votes than the rest of the field combined and was top pick for 325 of the 584 voters. England captain Harry Kane also voted Dembele as his top choice, followed by PSG midfielder Vitinha and Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah.

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One national team captain who did not have Dembele as his No. 1 was Liverpool defender Van Dijk. The Dutchman, perhaps unsurprisingly, went with Salah as his top pick, with Dembele second and Nuno Mendes in third. Salah also enjoyed a stellar campaign and was named the Premier League Player of the Season. The Egyptian bagged 29 goals and provided 18 assists to also claim the Premier League Golden Boot as Arne Slot's side were crowned champions.

England boss Tuchel also backed his players with his vote. The German went with Kane as his top choice, followed by Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Dembele only in third place on his list. Tuchel's vote for Palmer should give the Chelsea star a big boost, particularly as the England coach has previously hinted he may not be part of his World Cup plans amid his ongoing struggles with injury. He said in October: "First of all, the most important thing is that he can play without pain, because the groin issue is a very dangerous one to become chronic. This is the most important thing. When he's fit and when he has rhythm and flow, he can decide matches on club level and, for sure, on international level. We know that. There is also with him no problem at all (for me). We clearly understand and see the potential and the quality, but there is also a reality that he was not available in five of the (last) seven camps, so right now there are two camps left before the World Cup." 

Messi, Kane, Van Dijk and Dembele are all expected to light up World Cup 2026 when the competition takes place next summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Tuchel will be hoping to lead England to glory for the first time since 1966, with the Three Lions due to take on Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the group phase of the tournament. "No one should be underestimated," said Tuchel when asked about his team's upcoming fixtures. "Of course, Croatia is the standout name [and] the highest-ranked team from Pot 2 that we got into our group. It’s a difficult opener against Croatia. We take it from here. Ghana is always full of talent and can always surprise, and has a big history in World Cup football. Also, Panama will try to make the most of the underdog role. No one can be underestimated – everyone deserves the fullest respect, and we will show that."