French star Dembélé wins FIFA "The Best Award"

Dembélé, who represents both Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, received the prestigious honour presented by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) at the ceremony.

A season of historic achievements

The 28-year-old had already claimed the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career last September, capping an exceptional season in which he led Paris Saint-Germain to victories in both the French league and the UEFA Champions League.

Dembélé thanks his teammates

Speaking at the ceremony, held on the eve of the Intercontinental Cup final between European champions Paris Saint-Germain and Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Dembélé expressed his gratitude to his teammates.

“I would like to thank my teammates. Hard work pays off. It has been a wonderful year for me, both individually and collectively,” he said.

Bonmatí claims women’s award

Meanwhile, Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the FIFA The Best award in the women’s category.

The 27-year-old secured the honour for the third consecutive year, having also won the Ballon d’Or for the third straight time last autumn.

Voting process

These individual awards come at the conclusion of a challenging season for Bonmatí, during which she finished runner-up in both the UEFA Women’s Champions League final and the European Championship.

The winners were selected through a vote involving fans, media representatives, as well as national team captains and coaches.