Dembele Wins 2025 Ballon d’Or After Stellar PSG Season
Paris – Ousmane Dembele has claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or, edging out Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal to take football’s most prestigious individual prize. The 28-year-old succeeds Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, who won the award in 2024, breaking the long-standing dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dembele, formerly of Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, played a key role for France in their 2018 World Cup triumph. Last season, he scored 35 goals across all competitions as PSG captured a French league and cup double and lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time in the club’s history.
Following Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid, Dembele was converted into a centre-forward, helping PSG deliver a memorable 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich.
“It’s hard to put into words. It was an incredible season with PSG,” an emotional Dembele said on stage at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. He credited PSG coach Luis Enrique, winner of the club coach of the year award, as being “like a father” to him.
Dembele emphasized the collective nature of his achievement: “It’s an individual trophy, but really it was the team that won it. The Ballon d’Or wasn’t an objective for me, but I worked hard for the team to win the Champions League.”
Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal, 18, who first played alongside Dembele at Barcelona in 2023, took home the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21 for the second consecutive year.
At the ceremony, Dembele accepted his award while PSG’s teammates were on the field in Marseille, having their Ligue 1 match delayed by 24 hours due to bad weather.
Women’s Ballon d’Or: Bonmati Makes It Three in a Row
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the Women’s Ballon d’Or, narrowly beating teammate Mariona Caldentey. Bonmati’s Spain side lost to England on penalties in the Women’s Euro 2025 final, while her club side fell to Caldentey’s Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League final.
Despite missing the start of Spain’s tournament due to viral meningitis, Bonmati was named player of the tournament at the Euros. “I’m very proud. This is all thanks to my teammates,” she said.
Alessia Russo, part of England’s European Championship-winning team and Arsenal, finished third. Bonmati’s three consecutive wins follow the back-to-back triumphs of her Barcelona and Spain teammate Alexia Putellas. Only Norway’s Ada Hegerberg and USA star Megan Rapinoe have won the Women’s Ballon d’Or since its inception in 2018.
Barcelona and Spain’s 19-year-old forward Vicky Lopez was named best young women’s player, while Gianluigi Donnarumma claimed the Yashin Trophy for best men’s goalkeeper after his outstanding season with PSG before moving to Manchester City. England’s Euro-winning goalkeeper Hannah Hampton took home the women’s best goalkeeper award, and Sarina Wiegman, manager of the England women’s team, was named best women’s coach.
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