Despite not being in his best season due to injuries, Ousmane Dembélé has managed to be crowned the 2025 The Best FIFA Men’s Player. As a result, comparisons quickly emerged, recalling how long it took Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win this award.

On December 16, FIFA presented The Best award, recognizing Ousmane Dembele of France and Paris Saint-Germain as the top player globally. He has now achieved a record only achieved previously by Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi completed the most dominant individual season in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS). The Argentine star led Inter Miami to championship glory, simultaneously being crowned as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the regular season, winner of the Golden Boot, and best player of the final.

The Colorado Rapids will host defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami at Empower Field at Mile High on April 18, the club announced Thursday. The decision to host at the Broncos’ stadium was made independent of Miami’s global star power, including two-time defending MLS MVP Lionel Messi.