Ousmane Dembélé Tops The Guardian's 2025 List of Best Male Footballers
Ousmane Dembélé has been announced as the winner of The Guardian's 2025 list of the 100 best male footballers in the world, becoming only the seventh player to top the annual ranking.
Lamine Yamal secured second place while Vitinha finished third in the prestigious list.
The 2025 ranking sees the Premier League dominating with the highest representation among the top 100 players.
The Guardian's feature includes a detailed breakdown of how every judge voted and an explanation of the ranking methodology used.
Additionally, the interactive hub presents a companion feature that lists the top 100 female players for 2025.
The article was first published on December 16, 2025, and subsequently updated on December 19, 2025.
The report was authored by Marcus Christenson, Pamela Duncan, Steven Bloor, and Garry Blight.
