The grand finalists for the 16th Globe Soccer Awards to be held in Dubai later this month have been revealed after more than 30 million votes were cast by football fans around the world to decide this year’s contenders, organisers said.
Vying for the respective best men's and women's awards are reigning Ballon d'Or holders Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati, while PSG coach Luis Enrique makes the five-man shortlist for Best Men's Coach.
Dembele has enjoyed a record-breaking campaign at Paris Saint-Germain, helping the French club win six trophies in 2025, including the French league, Uefa Champions League and, on Wednesday, the Fifa Intercontinental Cup following a shoot-out win over Brazilian side Flamengo.
Barcelona midfield maestro Bonmati, 27, won her third consecutive Ballon d'Or in the autumn and also picked up the Fifa Best Award – as did Dembele – at Tuesday night's awards in Doha.
Joining Dembele on the shortlist at the Globe Awards in the men's category is his PSG teammate Vitinha, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona duo Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
Bonmati faces competition from her Barca teammate Alexia Putellas, Arsenal duo Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey and Lyon's Melchie Dumornay.
The winners will be crowned at an exclusive, invitation-only ceremony on December 28 at the Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai.
In the two global public voting windows, votes were cast across nine core categories including Best Men’s Player, Best Women’s Player, Best Men’s Club, Best Women’s Club, Best Coach, Best Midfielder, Best Forward, Emerging Player, and Best Middle East Player.
Awards will also be handed out for categories including Best Agent, Best Sporting Director, the Maradona Award, plus career and special awards.
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PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov holds the trophy after winning the Fifa Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, December 17, 2025. AP Photo -
Flamengo's Luiz Araujo has his penalty saved by Paris Saint-Germain's Matvey Safonov during the penalty shoot-out after the game finished 1-1 after extra time. Reuters -
PSG captain Marquinhos celebrates after teammate Matvey Safonov made a save - one of four - in the shoot-out against Flamengo as the French club won 2-1 on penalties. AP -
PSG's goalkeeper Matvey Safonov stop a penalty in the 2-1 shoot-out win over Flamengo. AP -
Luis Campos, left, sporting director of Paris Saint Germain, Luis Enrique, centre, head coach, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, club president, celebrate the Intercontinental Cup win. EPA -
Head coach Luis Enrique and Nuno Mendes of Paris Saint-Germain. EPA -
PSG's players celebrate with the trophy. AFP -
Paris Saint-Germain's Vitinha was named Player of the Tournament. AFP
The grand finalists
Uefa Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain dominate the final shortlists. They are in the running for Best Men’s Club alongside Barcelona, Chelsea, Flamengo and Liverpool, while in the Best Coach category PSG boss Luis Enrique will go up against Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Hansi Flick (Barcelona) and Enzo Maresca (Chelsea).
In the Best Women’s Club category, the grand finalists are Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Juventus.
Adding to the evening’s star power, Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed his attendance. The Portugal and Al Nassr forward is also a finalist in the Best Middle East Player category, alongside the likes of Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal), Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad), and Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli).
Spain’s La Liga, a strategic partner of the Globe Soccer Awards, will also present the winners of its 2024/25 season awards in Dubai.
The winners are: Raphinha, Barcelona – Best Player; Hansi Flick, Barcelona – Best Coach; Lamine Yamal, Barcelona – Best Emerging Player; Luka Sucic, Real Sociedad – Best Goal; and Jan Oblak, Atletico Madrid – Best Save.
