Another year is coming to an end, with 2025 shaping up to be a banner year for many footballers.
From budding young talents to seasoned veterans who still know it all too well, BBC Sport looks at some of the best players in the men’s game over the last 12 months.
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You can vote for who you think will be the best in 2025 at the bottom of the article.
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
The England captain has been in top form this year as he continues to feature for Bayern Munich.
The 32-year-old former Tottenham striker scored an incredible 60 goals for club and country in 2025.
Surprisingly, this is still some way off the record for most goals ever scored, currently held by Lionel Messi. The Argentine striker scored 91 goals in 2012.
Lamine Yamar (Barcelona)
Lamine Yamal is only 18 years old, but he seems to have been around for a while as he regularly makes headlines for his stellar performances.
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Last year, he won Euro 2024 for Spain and continues to improve in 2025.
The teenager has seven goals and eight assists in 14 La Liga games for Barcelona so far this season.
In the first half of this year, he scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists for club and country.
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain)
Ousmane Dembélé has made an incredible start to 2025, scoring 15 goals in the first eight games of the year and finishing the 2024-25 campaign with 35 goals in 53 games, certainly his best scoring form of any season.
The 28-year-old’s performances on the pitch saw him win his first Ballon d’Or, and although the goals haven’t been so smooth so far this season, it’s still been a stellar year for the France striker.
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Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
It would take a brave man not to captain Erling Haaland in their fantasy Premier League team, as the 25-year-old Manchester City striker has been nothing short of stunning in front of goal this season.
He has scored 25 goals in just 24 games this season and has been equally lethal for Norway, scoring 16 times in eight qualifying games as the team qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
It’s been a difficult season for Cole Palmer so far, with injuries limiting his game time, but he was a standout performer at the Club World Cup this summer and was a key player for Chelsea last season.
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He helped the Blues return to the Champions League this season, provided two vital assists as Chelsea beat Real Betis in the Conference Finals, and was subsequently named Player of the Tournament at the Club World Cup, ahead of some of the greatest teams and players in world football.
The 23-year-old Palmer scored three goals and provided two assists. No other player has more than his five goals.
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
Given that they won the treble, players from Paris Saint-Germain were always going to dominate this list.
Goals and assists often grab the headlines, but 23-year-old Nuno Mendes has cemented himself as one of the best left-backs in the world after some fine performances at full-back for Paris Saint-Germain.
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Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City)
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who joined Manchester City from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, was named FIFA’s Best Men’s Goalkeeper for 2025 earlier this month.
The Italy international was recognized for a remarkable year in which he won the Champions League for the first time and won three domestic trophies with PSG.
The 26-year-old has since become a key member of Pep Guardiola’s City, who currently sit second in the Premier League and fourth in the Champions League.
Pedri (Barcelona)
Pedri, 23, had arguably one of the best seasons of his career in 2024-25, helping Barcelona win the domestic treble, and is now regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world.
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He had the most recoveries (254) of any player in Europe’s top five leagues last season and created 70 chances for his Barcelona teammates last season, demonstrating that he is one of the best chance creators in Europe.
Although the injury issues appear to be behind him, he has continued to play an important role for Barcelona this season and helped them finish first in La Liga ahead of rivals Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
2025 has been a prolific year for Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 59 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid this year.
This means the 27-year-old striker equals Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time goalscoring record set in 2013.
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Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
A defensive midfielder has to be very, very good to be considered the best in the world, given the bland nature of the role, but at 25, Vitinha is certainly very, very good in 2025.
Compared to the legendary Andres Iniesta, Vitinha has excellent technique and positioning, helping him dominate games in Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield.
