French winger Ousmane Dembele etched his name into football history on Monday night as he was awarded the 2025 Ballon d’Or, the sport’s most prestigious individual accolade. The glittering ceremony took place at the iconic Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where the Paris Saint-Germain star was honoured after playing a central role in his club’s historic quadruple triumph last season, highlighted by their long-awaited Champions League victory.
PSG had several nominees on the shortlist across multiple categories, though many of Dembele’s teammates missed the gala due to their rescheduled Ligue 1 fixture against rivals Marseille, which was postponed over the weekend because of severe weather. Dembele himself was absent from Luis Enrique’s squad for that game owing to injury, allowing him to attend the event.
Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal emerged as Dembele’s strongest challenger but finished second, with PSG’s Vitinha taking third. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah claimed fourth place, while Chelsea’s rising star Cole Palmer ranked eighth as the highest-placed Premier League player.
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A former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona forward, Dembele enjoyed a prolific season, scoring 35 goals across all competitions. His contributions powered PSG to a domestic double and their maiden Champions League title. Overcome with emotion, he credited both his manager and his teammates:
“I really don’t have the words. It was an incredible season with PSG,” Dembele said. “Luis Enrique has been like a father to me. This is an individual prize, but it truly belongs to the whole team.”
The Ballon d’Or, he admitted, had never been a primary goal. “My focus was on helping PSG win the Champions League. This award is simply a reward for that hard work.”
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Yamal—once Dembele’s teammate at Barcelona—picked up the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player for the second consecutive year, underlining his meteoric rise in world football.
