What are the Globe Soccer Awards? History of football prize and how it compares to Ballon d'Or

With Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi amongst the previous winners as well as the pool of nominees for this year's gala, the Globe Soccer Awards will once again attempt to bridge the gap between the Ballon d'Or and the rest of global football's prize-giving.

Founded in 2010, the Globe Soccer Awards includes an annual gala in Dubai to recognize the best players, coaches, executives, and more from the previous calendar year. The 2025 ceremony takes place on December 28.

Despite still trying to shake the biases of its roots a bit, the awards are gaining recognition as they add not only the presence and nomination of the best in the world, but also the partnership of many superstars as part of the panel to select the nominees and winners.

AllSportsPeople reviews where the Globe Soccer Awards came from and how they will determine winners in the 2025 edition.

MORE: All the winners at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards

What are the Globe Soccer Awards?

Founded in 2010, the Globe Soccer Awards are organized by their namesake, Globe Soccer. The gala has taken place every December or January in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to recognize the most prominent figures in the world of football.

The awards were founded by famed agent Jorge Mendes along with Italian businessmen Riccardo Silva and Tommaso Bendoni. Mendes has won the Best Agent category almost every year.

"At the heart of Globe Soccer's mission is a commitment to honoring all facets of the beautiful game," reads the official website. "Their awards celebrate not just players, but the full spectrum of football stakeholders, from chairmen and agents to directors and referees."

To recognize the best across the world of football in the 2025 calendar year, the Globe Soccer Awards holds its next iteration of the ceremony on December 28, in Dubai.

2025 Globe Soccer Award nominees

A winner will be named in each of the following categories, for which there are a select few "grand finalists" in contention.

Best Men's Player

• Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain/France
• Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid/France)
• Raphinha (Barcelona/Brazil)
• Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona/Spain)

Best Women's Player

• Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona/Spain)
• Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal/Spain)
• Melchie Dumornay (Lyon/Haiti)
• Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain)
• Alessia Russo (Arsenal/England)

Best Men's Club

• Barcelona
• Chelsea
• Flamengo
• Liverpool
• Paris Saint-Germain

Best Women's Club

• Arsenal
• Barcelona
• Chelsea
• Juventus

Best Men's Coach

• Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen/Real Madrid)
• Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
• Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Hansi Flick (Barcelona)
• Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)

Best Midfielder

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England)
• Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal)
• Cole Palmer (Chelsea/England)
• Pedri (Barcelona/Spain)
• Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal)

Best Forward

• Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain/France)
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain/Georgia)
• Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid/France)
• Raphinha (Barcelona/Brazil)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona/Spain)

Emerging Player

• Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona/Spain)
• Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain/France)
• Arda Guler (Real Madrid/Turkey)
• Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal)
• Kenan Yildiz (Juventus/Turkey)

Best Agent

• Ali Barat
• Jorge Mendes
• Federico Pastorello
• Fali Ramadani
• Frank Trimboli

Best Sporting Director

• Luis Campos (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Deco (Barcelona)
• Michael Edwards/Richard Hughes (Liverpool)
• Giovanni Manna (Napoli)
• Paul Winstanley/Laurence Stewart (Chelsea)

Best Middle East Player

• Salem Al-Dawsari (Al Hilal/Saudi Arabia)
• Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad)
• Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli/Algeria)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/Portugal)

How are the Globe Soccer Awards winners decided?

The winners of the awards are decided by a vote — or, rather, two votes.

There is a fan poll, which ran from November 19 to November 27 and whittled down the nominees to a group of finalists. Then, a second public poll ran from December 3 to December 11, which also includes a vote from the awards jury. At the end of this voting period, the figures with the biggest level of support — the jury's vote counts for 80 per cent of the final calculation, and the initial public vote the other 20 percent — will win the awards. Those winners will then be announced at the gala on December 28.

The categories decided in this way are:

Best Men's Player
Best Women's Player
Best Men's Club
Best Women's Club
Best Coach
Best Midfielder
Best Forward
Emerging Player
Best Middle East Player

Who is on the Globe Soccer Awards jury?

The individuals involved in selecting the nominees and finalists for the 2025 Globe Soccer Awards are wide-ranging from across the football landscape.

The 28-person "jury", as they call it, hail from across the globe in various aspects of the game. From world-renowned current and former players and coaches, club executives, referees, government officials, businessmen, and more, the following are the individuals tasked with selecting the nominees and winners of this year's awards.

The jury is the same as in 2024, meaning it includes Deco and Alexia Putellas, both of whom are finalists for awards. Former Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, who died in February 2025, is also listed as a jury member "in memoriam".

You will notice that, likely thanks to the individuals who founded the annual awards, there is a significant Italian and Portuguese presence in the jury pool.