Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has beaten Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to the Ballon d’Or after a fine season that ended with Champions League success.
Dembélé, 28, scored 35 goals in 53 appearances in all competitions for treble-winners PSG, who also won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France in addition to their first ever Champions League trophy.
The French side also reached the final of the Club World Cup in the summer, eventually losing to Chelsea in the final in the United States.
Dembélé — who is currently injured and wasn’t part of PSG’s squad for Monday’s rescheduled game against Marseille — collected the award at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday.
The Ballon d’Or is given to the best men’s player over the past season and is administered by France Football, with international journalists voting for the winner based on individual performances, team achievements and a player’s class and fair play.
“Thank you all,” an emotional Dembélé said on Monday. “What just happened to me is incredible. I’m speechless. It’s been an amazing season with PSG. I’ve experienced incredible things, and I’m a little nervous; it’s not easy.
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“Receiving this trophy, especially from Ronaldinho, is truly exceptional. I want to thank PSG for signing me in 2023. The president, the entire team, and the club. They are a wonderful family. From day one, the president has treated me very well.”
Dembélé, who succeeds Manchester City’s Rodri as the winner, was considered one of the biggest talents in the game when he broke onto the scene, first at Rennes and later at Borussia Dortmund.
He became the sixth Frenchman to win it after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema.
“I would also like to thank all the staff at PSG who have been fantastic,” he said. “Luis Enrique, who is like a father to me. He has been very important to my career, even though it’s not over yet. Thank you to all my teammates. We’ve won almost everything. You’ve been by my side, and together we’ve raised our level to achieve these team trophies. This is an individual award, but we all share in this success as a team.”
Barcelona paid over €100 million ($117.7m) to sign him in 2017, but despite spending six seasons at the Catalan club, he never quite managed to elevate his game to the next level.
However, since moving to PSG in 2023 for €50m, he has established himself as one of the best players in the game under coach Luis Enrique.
PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé beat Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
“Thank you to all the clubs I’ve played for: Stade Rennes, Borussia Dortmund, and the club I always dreamed of playing for, Barcelona,” he said. “I learned so much there, playing alongside players like Messi and Iniesta. It was a great learning experience. I am so happy. When I see the list of legends who have won this award… I worked hard for the team to win the Champions League, Ligue 1 … to win this trophy is incredible. I am very happy.”
Last season, after Kylian Mbappé‘s move to Real Madrid, he took on an even more central role in the side, often playing through the middle as opposed to wide, and the results were explosive.
In addition to his 35 goals, he also registered 16 assists as part of a PSG team that made history by winning the treble.
Dembélé’s biggest competition came from teenager Yamal, who helped Barça to win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa.
Yamal, 18, also produced some of his best moments and goals in the biggest games, including the Champions League semifinal defeat to Inter Milan and the Clásico against Real Madrid.
Earlier in Paris, Yamal also won the Kopa Trophy for best under-21 player over the previous season, while Vicky López of Barcelona won the women’s best under-21 player.
“I need to keep on working to win other awards in the future,” Yamal said.
Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmatà was awarded her third straight Ballon d’Or Féminin, joining Michel Platini and Lionel Messi as only the third player in history to three-peat.
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres, formerly of Sporting CP, and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor won the Gerd Müller trophy for most goals in the season, while Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton were named best goalkeepers in the world. Donnarumma received the honor for his performances with PSG in the 2024-25 season and with Italy.
PSG manager Luis Enrique and England women’s team manager, Sarina Wiegman, received the Johan Cruyff trophies, awarded to the best coaches of the year.
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