From emerging young talent to experienced older heads proving they’ve still got it, BBC Sport looks at some of the best players in the men’s game over the course of the last 12 months.
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You can vote for who you think has been the best in 2025 at the end of the article.
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
The England captain has been in the form of his life this year and continues to be prolific for Bayern Munich.
The 32-year-old former Spurs striker has scored an incredible 60 goals for club and country by 2025.
Surprisingly, this is still far from the record for most goals in a calendar year, currently held by Lionel Messi. The Argentine striker scored 91 goals in 2012.
Yamal laminate (Barcelona)
Lamine Yamal is only 18 years old, but it seems like she has been on the scene for a while, as she regularly makes headlines for her outstanding performances.
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He shined for Spain when they won Euro 2024 last year and has continued to rise in 2025.
The teenager has seven goals and eight assists after 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 St-Germain)
Ousmane Dembélé got off to an incredible start to 2025, as he scored 15 goals in his first eight games of the year on his way to finishing the 2024-25 campaign with 35 goals in 53 games, by far 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 flowed as well so far this season, it has been a brilliant year for the French striker.
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Erling Haaland (Man City)
It takes a brave person not to captain Erling Haaland in his Fantasy Premier League team because the 25-year-old Manchester City striker has been simply sensational in front of goal this season.
He has scored 25 goals in just 24 appearances this season, while he has been in equally lethal form for Norway, helping them qualify for a first World Cup since 1998 by scoring 16 goals in their eight qualifying matches.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
This has been a difficult season so far for Cole Palmer as an injury limited his playing time, but he was the standout player at this summer’s Club World Cup and was a key player for Chelsea last season.
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He helped the Blues secure their return to the Champions League for this season, provided two vital assists as Chelsea beat Real Betis in the Conference League final and was then named player of the tournament at the Club World Cup, overshadowing some of the biggest teams and players in world football.
Palmer, 23, scored three goals and had two assists, and no other player surpassed his five goal involvements.
Nuno Mendes (Paris St-Germain)
Since they won the treble, the Paris St-Germain players would always dominate this list.
Goals and assists often grab the headlines, but 23-year-old Nuno Mendes has established himself as one of the best left-backs in the world right now after some superb performances at full-back for PSG.
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Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris St-Germain/Man City)
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who joined Manchester City from PSG in the summer, was named FIFA’s best men’s goalkeeper for 2025 earlier this month.
The Italian international was recognized for an exceptional year in which he won the Champions League and three national trophies for the first time with PSG.
The 26-year-old has since established himself as a key member of Pep Guardiola’s City side, who currently sit second in the Premier League and fourth in the Champions League.
Pedri (Barcelona)
Pedri, 23, who enjoyed arguably one of the best seasons of his career in 2024-25 when he helped Barcelona win the domestic treble, is now considered one of the best midfielders in the world.
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He had the most recoveries (254) among players in the top five European leagues last season and also proved that he is one of the best chance creators in Europe, as he created 70 chances for his Barcelona teammates last season.
With injury problems seemingly behind him, he continues to play an important role for Barcelona this season and has helped them move to the top of La Liga, ahead of rivals Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
It has been a prolific 2025 for Kylian Mbappé, who has scored 59 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid this year.
In this way, the 27-year-old forward has equaled the record for goals scored in a calendar year that Cristiano Ronaldo established in 2013.
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Vitinha (Paris St-Germain)
Given the unglamorous nature of the role, a defensive midfielder has to be very, very good to be considered the best player in the world, but Vitinha, 25, has certainly been very, very good in 2025.
Compared to the legendary Andrés Iniesta, Vitinha has brilliant technique and positioning that helps him dominate games from the middle of the park for Paris St-Germain.