Christian Pulisic was crowned the best soccer player in the world at the 2025 ESPY Awards, but how did the Milan star beat fellow nominee and Barcelona sensation, Lamine Yamal?
What Are The ESPY Awards?
In 1993 the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards were, commonly known as the ESPY Awards, entered the fray as a notable accolade for athletes across a variety of sports.
From soccer to American football, the awards were created to recognize various achievements and displays of skill from the multiple sports across the globe.
This year, the awards show was hosted by comedian, Shane Gillis, but other notable hosts include Serena Williams, Drake, Samuel L. Jackson and John Cena.
Christian Pulisic picked up the award for best soccer player, Saquon Barkley was deemed the best NFL player and Shohei Ohtani took home the best MLB award.
The ESPY Awards also celebrate female sports, with Simone Biles, Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins all picking up awards from their specialized sport.
Interestingly, the primary percentage of votes come from fans through online voting, while sportswriters, broadcasters, executives and ESPN stars also have their say on certain awards.
All the money that is raised from the ESPY Awards are designated to the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which originated by ESPN and basketball icon, Jim Valvano.
Why Did Pulisic Win Best Soccer Player ESPY Award Over Lamine Yamal?
The American international managed to take the award home and reigned supreme over Lamine Yamal, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati, a trio from Barcelona.
It is had to disagree that Lamine Yamal had a notably more successful year that Pulisic, winning La Liga and helping Spain win the 2024 European Championships last season.
His performances have caught the eye since making his debut in 2023 at just 15-years-old, going on to make 106 appearances for the Barcelona first team and contributing to 59 goals (25G + 34A).
Yamal’s display in this year’s Champions League campaign at just 17-years-old has priced the Spaniard as one of the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or on the best betting apps.
The Ballon d’Or is the biggest individual prize in soccer and Christian Pulisic is not in the discussion to win the award, although the American did have his best season with Milan during 2024/25.
Making 50 appearances for the Rossoneri last season and contributing to 29 goals (17G + 12A), the former Chelsea star has regained his form in Europe after an underwhelming spell in England.
Pulisic has been in the headlines for other reasons in recent weeks, turning down the chance to play for his country at the Gold Cup and also rejecting the opportunity to play with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
Winning the ESPY Award over the likes of Yamal, Putellas and Bonmati, could be put down to the majority of votes coming from online fans who are familiar with ESPN – which has a large audience in the US.
Best Soccer Player ESPY Award Winners
Many star names have won the ESPY Award for the best soccer player, including the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, with the accolade first being up for grabs in 2000.
It was initially for both genders, before splitting into male and female categories in 2002-2004, returning to a combination in 2006 and being scrapped completely until 2023.
Below are the winners since it’s creation in 2000:
- 2000: Mia Hamm
- 2001: Mia Hamm
- 2002: Landan Donovan / Tiffeny Milbrett
- 2003: Ronaldo / Katia
- 2004: David Beckham / Mia Hamm
- 2005: Mia Hamm
- 2006: Ronaldinho
- 2023: Lionel Messi
- 2024: Kylian Mbappe
- 2025: Christian Pulisic
