Paris St-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele has won his first Ballon d’Or at the Paris ceremony, as the French treble winners took home many major awards.
In 53 matches for PSG last season, the 28-year-old France forward scored 35 goals and assisted 14 times, helping them win the Champions League, league title, and French Cup.
With 21 goals, he was the joint top scorer in Ligue 1 and named the French top flight and Champions League player of the year.
He helped PSG reach the Club World Cup final, but they ultimately lost to Chelsea in New Jersey.
Dembele beat Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for the award, then cried on stage in Paris, even though his team played on Monday.
The forward’s injury kept him out of the game, resulting in him missing PSG’s loss to Marseille, a match rescheduled due to weather.
“What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG,” said an emotional Dembele, whose mother joined him on the stage.
“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.
“I want to thank PSG who came to get me in 2023. It’s an incredible family. The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me. I also want to thank all the staff and the coach, who have been exceptional with me – he too is like a father – and all my team-mates.
“We have practically won everything together. You supported me in the good and the difficult times. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively.”
This marks the end of a great comeback for a player who hadn’t scored double figures in a league season since his time as a teenager with Rennes.
PSG’s coach of the year, Luis Enrique, deserves credit for Dembele’s award, largely due to a tactical change.
On December 15, after only five goals, he switched Dembele from the right wing to center forward against Lyon.
He went on to score 30 goals for PSG.
Dembele has finally demonstrated the talent that convinced Barcelona to pay an initial £96.8m.
However, the 2025 Ballon d’Or Team of the Year, PSG, got a steal when they signed him in 2023 for only £43.5m.
Dembele scored twice in seven games for France in 2024-25.
This is the sixth time a Frenchman has won, and the second since 2000, after Karim Benzema in 2022.
Lamine Yamal, at 18, was the runner-up and received the Kopa Trophy.
Last season, PSG’s team featured five of the top 10 players: Vitinha (third), Achraf Hakimi (sixth), Gianluigi Donnarumma (ninth), and Nuno Mendes (10th).
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool was fourth, while Cole Palmer of Chelsea and England placed eighth.
Rodri, the Manchester City and Spain midfielder, didn’t make the cut this year after an injury-plagued season.
Full List of Winners
Ousmane Dembele – Ballon d’Or
Aitana Bonmati – Ballon d’Or Feminin
Lamine Yamal – Kopa Trophy
Vicky Lopez – Women’s Kopa Trophy
Gianluigi Donnarumma – Yashin Trophy
Hannah Hampton – Women’s Yashin Trophy
Viktor Gyokeres – Gerd Muller Trophy
Ewa Pajor – Women’s Gerd Muller Trophy
PSG – Club of the year
Arsenal – Women’s Club of the Year
Luis Enrique – Men’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman – Women’s Coach of the Year
Fundacion Xana – Socrates Award
