The Best FIFA 2025 in Doha: Date, Time, Live Stream and Key Details of the Awards Gala

Global football attention turns to Doha, Qatar, this Tuesday, December 16, as the FIFA The Best Awards 2025 take center stage. The ceremony will close the football calendar year by honoring the world’s top players, coaches, and goalkeepers in an event designed to blend prestige, narrative, and global reach. The gala will be held as a formal dinner at the Katara Hall inside the Fairmont Hotel, with an estimated attendance of around 800 guests, including FIFA officials, football legends, federation representatives, and invited dignitaries.

The awards ceremony will be broadcast live and free through FIFA’s official digital platforms, with coverage beginning at 8:00 p.m. local time in Qatar. For audiences in Mexico, the broadcast will start at 11:00 a.m., a key detail for fans closely following the road to the 2026 World Cup and the commercial and sporting impact these awards generate each year. The timing is no coincidence. FIFA has strategically positioned the gala during a pivotal week in Doha, which also hosts the conclusion of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025. The final between Paris Saint-Germain and CR Flamengo will be played on Wednesday, December 17, at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, turning Doha into the epicenter of both celebration and competition.

Beyond the glamour, The Best FIFA Awards have evolved into a barometer of the modern football ecosystem, where on-field performance, storytelling, and global influence compete for recognition. FIFA highlighted record levels of fan participation this year, with millions of votes cast worldwide, reinforcing the growing role of supporters in shaping individual prestige. The voting system remains evenly balanced across four groups: fans, national team captains, national team coaches, and specialized journalists. Each group carries equal weight in determining the winners of the main awards, a structure designed to distribute influence across the pitch, the bench, the media, and the global community.

In practice, this format reflects a broader trend in elite football. Public debate can elevate a candidate’s profile, but recognition from peers continues to be decisive. It also places journalists in a formal evaluative role, demanding rigorous standards in a year defined by a congested calendar and overlapping club and international competitions that complicate direct comparisons. The gala will also include announcements that extend beyond the main ceremony, as FIFA typically reveals several honors through digital content before and during the event. These include the Fair Play Award, Best Fan Award, and Best Goal in both men’s and women’s football, as well as selections for the FIFPRO World XI, a category that consistently fuels debate over tactical trends, positional choices, and notable omissions.

The competitive context surrounding Doha adds another layer of intrigue. With the Intercontinental Cup final just hours away, recent performances inevitably influence how the annual awards are perceived. As the city becomes a global showcase for football, The Best FIFA 2025 gala does more than distribute trophies. It helps define the narrative of the year, highlighting which figures shaped elite football and setting the tone for the next season on the road to 2026.