LIKE with the African Ballon d'Or, national team captains and coaches were asked to pick the best player of the year for The Best FIFA 2025 awards. Senegal, through its captain Kalidou Koulibaly and its national coach Pape Thiaw, has shared their choices.
Image / seneweb
As captain of the Lions of Teranga, Kalidou Koulibaly has selected three players that show his view of modern football.
He placed Ousmane Dembélé first, highlighting the French winger's strong performance and reliability at the top level. Second place went to Achraf Hakimi, who had a standout season, and the third spot was taken by the young Spanish talent Lamine Yamal, who represents the next generation of players.
Pape Thiaw, the national team coach, had a vote that was very similar to his captain's.
He also chose Ousmane Dembélé as the best player of the year, agreeing with the captain's view of the former Barcelona star. Achraf Hakimi was also his second choice. The only difference was in third place, where Thiaw picked Raphinha, recognizing the Brazilian's strong impact and influence at his club.