Ballon d’Or 2025: Dembélé crowned as Bonmatí makes history

Ousmane Dembélé has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or after a glittering season with Paris Saint-Germain.  

The French forward lifted five major trophies last year, including the Champions League, Ligue 1, and French Cup, sealing his reputation as one of the most decisive players in world football.  

Dembélé was in tears as he accepted the award in Paris, thanking his family and inviting his mother onto the stage in a moment that drew huge applause from the crowd.  

On the women’s side, Aitana Bonmatí made history by winning the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the third year in a row.  

The Barcelona and Spain midfielder, still only 27, now joins Lionel Messi and Michel Platini as the only players ever to achieve such a streak.  

Bonmatí’s consistency at the highest level has made her the heartbeat of both club and country, with her ability to deliver in decisive moments often setting her apart from her rivals.  

Elsewhere, Hannah Hampton and Gianluigi Donnarumma were named the best goalkeepers, while teenage sensations Lamine Yamal and Vicky López collected the young player awards.  

Barcelona and Spain wonderkid Lamine Yamal has cemented his reputation as the brightest young talent in world football after winning the Kopa Trophy for the second year running. 

The award, handed out at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, recognises the best young player in the world, and comes at the end of a trophy-laden campaign for the teenager.

Yamal was central to Barcelona’s success during the 2024–25 season, helping the Catalan giants secure a domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup. 

His influence also extended to the international stage, where he starred for Spain in their victorious run at Euro 2024, breaking records along the way.

The forward edged out stiff competition from some of Europe’s finest prospects. Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, Chelsea’s Brazilian prodigy Estevão, and PSG’s Desire Doué, who finished second, were all among the leading candidates.

Coaching honours went to Sarina Wiegman and Luis Enrique, recognising their influence on England’s women and Spain’s men respectively.  

Arsenal were rewarded as women’s club of the year following their Champions League triumph, while PSG were named men’s club of the year to round off a dominant evening for French football.  

The night also underlined the strength of the Lionesses, with five English players finishing in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or Féminin rankings.