In a night to remember at the Paris Ballon d’Or ceremony, Ousmane Dembélé was named the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, marking a stunning personal and professional comeback for the Paris St-Germain star.
The 28-year-old forward, who helped PSG secure a historic treble last season, became the sixth Frenchman to receive football’s most prestigious individual award and only the second this century after Karim Benzema in 2022.
Dembélé’s numbers were impossible to ignore: 35 goals and 14 assists in 53 matches, joint top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals, and Player of the Year in both the French top flight and the Champions League. His performances led PSG to triumphs in the Champions League, Ligue 1, and French Cup, and he was instrumental in the club’s run to the Club World Cup final.
“What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG,” said a visibly emotional Dembélé, who was joined on stage by his mother. “I feel a bit of stress, it’s not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional.”
The forward, currently sidelined with injury, missed PSG’s 1-0 defeat to Marseille on Monday evening. But his presence at the ceremony resonated deeply, especially as he paid tribute to the PSG family: “The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me… the coach has been exceptional with me – he too is like a father – and all my team-mates. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively.”
Dembélé’s turnaround is partly credited to PSG manager Luis Enrique, who was named Coach of the Year. A tactical switch in mid-December moved Dembélé from the wing to a central striker’s role, transforming his output. From just five goals by mid-December, he added 30 more in the months that followed.
Having once been Europe’s most expensive teenager when Barcelona signed him in 2017, Dembélé is finally living up to his early promise. PSG, who signed him for just £43.5m in 2023, now look to have secured one of the deals of the decade.
PSG’s dominance continued across the awards, claiming Team of the Year. Five of their players made the Ballon d’Or top ten, including Vitinha (3rd), Achraf Hakimi (6th), Gianluigi Donnarumma (9th), and Nuno Mendes (10th). Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, just 18, finished second and took home the Kopa Trophy for best young player.
