<p>Ousmane Dembélé becomes our seventh winner as he beats Lamine Yamal into second and Vitinha into third on our list of the best players on the planet</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/19/the-premier-league-dominates-guardians-top-100-male-footballers-again-can-anyone-catch-up">Premier League dominates list</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/19/see-how-every-judge-voted-for-the-100-best-male-footballers-in-2025">How every judge voted</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/15/how-the-guardian-ranked-the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2025">Our methodology</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2025/dec/01/the-100-best-female-footballers-in-the-world-2025">The top 100 female players for 2025</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2024/dec/17/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2024">2024 edition</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2023/dec/19/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2023">2023</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2023/jan/24/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2022">2022</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2021/dec/21/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2021">2021</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/dec/21/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2020">2020</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/ng-interactive/2019/dec/17/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2019">2019</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2018/dec/18/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2018-nos-100-71">2018</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2017/dec/19/the-100-best-footballers-in-the-world-2017-interactive">2017</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2016/dec/20/the-100-best-footballers-in-the-world-2016-interactive">2016</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2015/dec/21/the-100-best-footballers-in-the-world-2015-interactive">2015</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2014/dec/21/the-top-100-footballers-2014-interactive">2014</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2013/dec/100-greatest-footballers-2013">2013</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/interactive/2012/dec/20/top-100-footballers-in-the-world-interactive">2012</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2025/dec/16/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2025">Continue reading...</a>