Cristiano Ronaldo named the best Middle East player in the Globe Soccer Awards

Ronaldo beat competition from Salem Al-Dawsari (Al Hilal), Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) and Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli) to claim the award. This marks the third consecutive year he has received the honour, having also won it in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, the Portuguese forward scored 35 goals and provided four assists in 41 appearances for Al Nassr.

Speaking after receiving the award, Ronaldo said: “It’s hard to continue playing football, but the passion is still very strong. I feel very motivated to carry on. My goal is still to score goals, win more trophies and keep pushing myself to achieve new personal targets. I will reach 1,000 goals for sure, if I stay injury-free.”

At the ceremony, Ronaldo also presented the Global Sports Award, which was won by tennis legend Novak Djokovic. Praising the Serbian star, Ronaldo said: “For me, he’s an example. When you have people like him as examples, the awards come by themselves. His longevity is incredible and we share a similar story. He deserves it because he’s a great example for this generation and the generations to come.”

Paris Saint-Germain dominated the awards following a successful 2025 season. Ousmane Dembele was named Best Men’s Player, Luis Enrique won Best Coach, and PSG were awarded Best Club. Vitinha received the Best Midfielder award, while Desire Doue was named Emerging Player of the Year. Lamine Yamal collected two honours: the Maradona Award for “pure talent” and Best Forward.

The Globe Soccer Awards are organised by Globe Soccer in collaboration with international football bodies including UEFA, the UAE Pro League, the European Clubs Association (ECA) and the European Association of Football Agents (EFAA). The 2025 ceremony marked the event’s 15th anniversary.

Awards are decided through a two-stage voting process. In the first stage, fans worldwide vote to select finalists from a list of nominees. The final winners are then determined by a combination of public votes and a jury made up of journalists, agents, coaches and former players.

Full list of 2025 Globe Soccer Awards winners

Men’s Player of the Year: Ousmane Dembélé

Women’s Player of the Year: Aitana Bonmatí

Men’s Club of the Year: PSG

Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona

Coach of the Year: Luis Enrique (PSG)

Best Midfielder: Vitinha (PSG)

Best Forward: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

Emerging Player: Désiré Doué (PSG)

Best Agent: Jorge Mendes

Best Sporting Director: Luis Campos (PSG)

Best Club President: Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (PSG)

Middle East Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo

Best Content Creator: Bilal Halal

Best Academy: Right to Dream

Career Achievement Award: Hidetoshi Nakata and Andrés Iniesta

Best Branding: Los Angeles Football Club

Best Mental Coach: Nicoletta Romanazzi

Best National Team: Portugal

Best Comeback: Paul Pogba

Maradona Award: Lamine Yamal