Salah and Hakimi compete for the best player in the world

Egyptian Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Moroccan Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi are among the nominees for the 2025 Best FIFA Men's Player award, presented by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). This award recognizes the outstanding performances of both players at club and international level. The Arab duo face stiff competition this year for the award, with the nominees featuring some of the world's most prominent football stars, including Ousmane Dembélé, the French national team and Paris Saint-Germain winger, and Kylian Mbappé, the distinguished French star. The list also includes Luis Diaz, the former Liverpool player and current Bayern Munich player, as well as Vinicius Junior, the Brazilian national team and Real Madrid winger. The nominations of Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi come amid an exceptional season for the latter, who has contributed to leading Liverpool to impressive results in the English Premier League and the Champions League, while Hakimi has shown remarkable improvement with Paris Saint-Germain, making him one of the most prominent Arab names making a significant impact on the European stage. This list is viewed as a reflection of the best players have achieved over the course of the season, both in terms of individual creativity and their contribution to their team's success. It also reflects the presence of Arab stars in major European clubs and their ability to compete with the world's best players for the most important individual awards. The competition for the title of the best player in the world for 2025 continues amid widespread public and media anticipation, as football fans await the announcement of the winner of the award, which is considered one of the most prominent international honors in the world of football, giving players the opportunity to shine and receive recognition on both the individual and collective levels.