Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has won the 2025 Ballon d’Or, capping a remarkable season in which he helped the French champions secure a historic quadruple, including their first ever UEFA Champions League title.
The 28-year-old Frenchman edged Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and PSG teammate Vitinha to claim football’s most prestigious individual honour at the 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony, held on Monday night at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Dembélé, who scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 matches across all competitions last season, was instrumental in PSG’s dominance. He directly contributed to 14 goals in the Champions League alone, including a starring role in the 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the final.
Speaking after receiving the award, Dembélé said: “This is a dream come true. To win the Ballon d’Or in Paris, in front of my family and fans, is something I will never forget. I want to thank my teammates, my coach, and everyone at PSG who made this possible.”
He becomes the sixth Frenchman in history to win the Ballon d’Or, following in the footsteps of Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema.
PSG also dominated the ceremony’s other awards. The club was named Men’s Team of the Year, while head coach Luis Enrique collected the Men’s Coach of the Year prize. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.
Enrique praised Dembélé’s evolution into a leader at PSG: “Ousmane has always had incredible talent, but this year he showed consistency, responsibility, and maturity. He is now among the very best in the world, and tonight’s award proves it.”
With the Ballon d’Or now in his hands, Dembélé’s name is etched permanently among football’s elite, a reward for a season where he inspired PSG to their most successful campaign in club history.
