Ousmane Dembele has been crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner in Paris, becoming the sixth Frenchman to claim the game’s most prestigious individual honour.
He scored 35 goals and added 16 assists across 53 appearances last season, firing Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever Champions League title.
His brace of assists in the final against Inter Milan and eight goals in the European run made him the standout figure in PSG’s first-ever Champions League triumph.
This was the season when Dembele transitioned from fragile talent to an unstoppable force. Manager Luis Enrique’s mid-season decision to deploy him centrally unlocked a ruthless streak.
From December onwards, he struck 30 times, transforming into PSG’s clinical spearhead. It was the consistency Barcelona had hoped for when they paid more than €100 million in 2017.
The Frenchman was emotional on stage, dedicating the prize to PSG, his coaches, and his family. “What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it,” he said.
“We have practically won everything together. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively.”
Presented with the trophy by Ronaldinho, Dembele described the moment as ‘exceptional and thanked PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, whom he called ‘like a father’.
His win represents the culmination of a journey scarred by injury and inconsistency. For years, he was a winger of dazzling dribbles but fleeting influence.
He has become the world’s best player. Kylian Mbappe, who left PSG for Real Madrid last summer, summed it up. “If it were up to me, I’d deliver it to his house,” he said.
Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal finished second and collected the Kopa Trophy for best under-21 player for a second consecutive year.
PSG’s Vitinha was third, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah fourth, and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer a surprise eighth.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati secured her third successive Women’s Ballon d’Or, underlining her dominance in the game.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres took the Gerd Muller Trophy after scoring 54 goals last season, while PSG’s Luis Enrique was named men’s coach of the year.
