Lamine Yamal and Pedri enter the FIFA The Best 2025 Ideal XI

FIFA held the official awards ceremony for The Best 2025 this Tuesday. In the men's category, Ousmane Dembélé, who had already won the Ballon d'Or last September, took home the award for the first time in history, in addition to being included in the ideal XI of the year, forming an attack with Lamine Yamal

The FC Barcelona '10', second in the Ballon d'Or voting, was one of the two Barça representatives in the team most voted for by FIFA's panel of experts. The other: Pedri González, who completed the midfield of a 4-4-2 formation alongside Vitinha (PSG), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), and Cole Palmer (Chelsea).

The presence of Real Madrid's '5' was the most striking, as in his place, Fabián Ruiz or Joao Neves, both having fantastic seasons with Paris, could easily have been included. Similarly, the inclusion of another forward in the XI was missed.

PSG's Overwhelming Dominance in the FIFA The Best 2025 Ideal XI

Despite the absences of Ruiz and Neves, PSG was the team with the most representatives in FIFA's ideal team, in addition to having the coach of the year. **Luis Enrique** took home the award and, in total, five players from the current European champions and winners of the treble in 2024/25 were included in the stellar team.

Among them are, in addition to Dembélé and Vitinha, defenders **Achraf Hakimi, Willian Pacho, and Nuno Mendes**, along with goalkeeper **Gianluigi Donnarumma**. The Italian, now at Manchester City, won the award for best goalkeeper of the year. Alongside Pacho and Hakimi, in defense, appeared **Virgil van Dijk** (Liverpool)

FIFA The Best 2025 Ideal XI:

• Donnarumma; Hakimi, Willian Pacho, Van Dijk, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Jude Bellingham, Pedri, Cole Palmer; Lamine Yamal and Dembélé.

Raphinha and Kylian Mbappé, notable absentees from FIFA's 2025 ideal XI

The most striking absences from FIFA's 2025 Ideal XI were undoubtedly Raphinha and Kylian Mbappé. The Brazilian scored 34 goals and provided 23 assists for Barça last season, where he was the MVP of LaLiga and the Pichichi in the Champions League, but this only earned him a spot on The Best shortlist. In the Ballon d'Or, Rapha finished fifth.

Mbappé, for his part, was the Pichichi of LaLiga and the Golden Boot with 31 goals. Other names that could have made the XI were Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah, the latter with identical records to Raphinha and top scorer in the Premier League with Liverpool