Ousmane Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward, has won the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The crowning moment occurred as Ronaldinho presented Dembele with the award in Paris. This marks the first time Dembele has received this coveted individual prize.
The 28-year-old Frenchman led PSG to their first Champions League title. PSG also completed a quadruple last season. Dembele's repositioning as a No. 9 proved inspirational in PSG's historic Champions League campaign. In the Champions League final, Dembele was commended for his pressing and defensive contributions during the 5-0 victory against Inter Milan. In all competitions, Dembele scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists for PSG last season.
During the Ballon d'Or ceremony, Dembele was supported by several teammates. He expressed his gratitude to PSG for acquiring him in 2023, describing the club as an "incredible family". He particularly thanked club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, whom he sees as a father figure. He extended his appreciation to the staff, coach (also considered a father figure), and teammates, acknowledging their support during both good and challenging times. Dembele emphasized that this individual trophy was a collective achievement of the team.
Dembele also acknowledged his first club, Stade Rennais, and the French national team. He stated his aim to win another World Cup in 2026 with coach Didier Deschamps.
The Ballon d'Or triumph was one of several for PSG, who secured a treble by winning the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the French Cup last season, in addition to the UEFA Super Cup this year. PSG had multiple players in the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or rankings, including Nuño Mendes (10th), Donnarumma (9th), Hakimi (6th), and Vitinha (3rd).
Dembele beat out Lamine Yamal and Vitinha for the award. Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona forward, finished second. Vitinha, Dembele's PSG teammate, finished third in the voting. Many considered Yamal to be a close contender, who had a great season with Barcelona.
Ousmane Dembele becomes the sixth French player to win the Ballon d'Or, following Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema. He is also the second PSG player to win the award, with Lionel Messi winning it in 2023.
