Browsing: Ballon

Worlds collided as the legendary English soccer player, Michael Owen, dressed up as Hulk Hogan for his daughter’s birthday.

While WWE attempts to produce the next big megastar, there are only a handful of names who come close to the impact and reach of The Hulkster during his prime. Hulk Hogan helped transform pro wrestling into a global phenomenon. Despite his various controversies outside the ring, he was influential in making WWE and Vince McMahon a lot of money, while also taking the business mainstream during the golden era.

The former World Champion sadly passed away in July earlier this year at the age of 71, and it’s only fitting that Michael Owen chose the wrestling icon to cosplay on a special day.

Michael Owen Channels His Inner Hulk Hogan To Celebrate His Daughter’s Birthday

The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner might go down as one of the most prolific English strikers ever, but he also knows how to dress up for the occasion.

On his daughter Emily’s 18th birthday, Michael Owen was on point with his Hulk Hogan costume and even managed to seemingly perfect the WWE Hall of Famer’s trademark blond Fu Manchu moustache.

Owen’s wife shared photos from the party, which included other great outfits, and it’s hard to argue against his attention to detail:

The Premier League winner with Manchester United can be found sharing his honest opinions as a soccer pundit these days and remains one of the most respected names in the sport, who has often had his fair share of detractors, too.

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It was supposed to be Vinícius Júnior’s year. In 2024 Real Madrid’s star forward had won LaLiga, and he’d won the UEFA Champions League. Next, logically, would be the Ballon d’Or.

Almost everybody thought so, a feeling most vociferously expressed by former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand, who bellowed “Ballon d’Or!” into a microphone six times — count them — after Vini Jr. scored Madrid’s second goal in the 2024 Champions League final.

But Vinícius didn’t win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Rodri did. On Oct. 28 last year, Vinícius and Real Madrid discovered that the Brazil forward was not about to cap a memorable 12 months by claiming the most prestigious individual prize in football. In fact, he was going to finish as runner-up to the more low-key Manchester City and Spain midfielder.

Madrid’s reaction was to boycott the ceremony, cancelling plans for a large delegation to fly to Paris, and severing ties with organizers France Football.

– Coaches at odds over Real Madrid’s provocative Vini Jr.
– How Man United’s Rashford revitalized career at Barcelona
– Will Real Madrid’s Mbappé, Barcelona’s Yamal be fit for Clásico?

In Madrid, second-best isn’t nearly enough. Vini Jr.’s reaction was one of defiance as he bombastically posted on social media: “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They aren’t ready,” The message was clear: If not this year, then next year. It’s a matter of time.

But 2025 hasn’t been Vinícius’ year, either. Real Madrid ended last season without a major trophy, losing a record-breaking four Clásicos to Barcelona along the way. At the FIFA Club World Cup under new coach Xabi Alonso, Vinícius scored once in six games, and so far this season, Alonso hasn’t always looked convinced, benching Vinícius three times, including for Sunday’s LaLiga win at Getafe.

Vinícius, 25, is still expected to start Sunday’s latest Clásico against Barça (stream LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.), at the Santiago Bernabéu. But he’ll no longer go into the game as Madrid’s brightest star. That is undoubtedly Kylian Mbappé, who has taken his game to another level, scoring in 10 of the team’s 11 games so far this season.

It’s been a turnaround in 12 months, as the seeming inevitability of Vinícius’ Ballon d’Or coronation has given way to inconsistent performance levels, a diminished status in the Real Madrid team, and even doubts over his long-term future at the club.

In the 365 days before his Ballon d’Or snub — from Oct. 28, 2023 until Oct. 27, 2024 — Vinícius made a persuasive case to be the world’s best player.

He scored 18 goals in 30 LaLiga appearances in that time, a rate of 0.6 goals per game. The only players to score more LaLiga goals in that period were three pure center forwards, two of them in career-best form: Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (28), Alexander Sørloth (22, for Villarreal and Atlético Madrid) and Artem Dovbyk (19), then of Girona.

Their role is defined by goal-scoring; Vinícius’ game offers so much more. In those 365 days, he provided eight assists (a total surpassed by six LaLiga players) and created a healthy 49 chances, placing him 16th in the league. Arguably his greatest asset, dribbling, saw him produce a league-high 227 successful take-ons, more than Lamine Yamal (225), Nico Williams (201) and Savinho (194).

In that time, Vinícius also produced a run of eye-catching performances in the Champions League. Only one player, Harry Kane, was able to top Vini Jr.’s 11 goal contributions (eight goals and three assists). In terms of wing play, no player came close to his 95 take-ons (Mbappé was next, on 70).

On April 30, 2024, he scored twice in a 2-2 semifinal draw at Bayern Munich. A month later, he scored a trophy-clinching second goal in the final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. Later that year — just six days before the Ballon d’Or ceremony — he produced one of his most electrifying individual performances: scoring a second-half hat trick in another win over Dortmund, 5-2 at the Bernabéu. Madrid had been 0-2 down with half an hour left, until Vinícius single-handedly rewrote the script in a way few players could.

The following year — from Oct. 28, 2024, until the present day — has been less convincing. Vinícius’ scoring rate has dropped, with 11 goals in 28 LaLiga appearances, down to a rate of 0.4 goals per game. In that time, 11 LaLiga players have scored more, including Raphinha (15) and Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet (12), neither of whom are center forwards.

Vinícius has registered another eight assists, the same as in the previous 12 months — only Yamal has more, with 11 — but three of those came in the last month, as his form improved. Vinícius went 15 league games and almost six long months, between Nov. 24, 2024 and May 11, 2025, without providing a single LaLiga assist for his teammates.

Some of that dip, of course, can be attributed to Madrid’s all-round underwhelming 2024-25 season, and broader issues, far beyond one player. Vinícius still created 59 chances for teammates in the last year, an increase of 10 on the previous 12 months, with only six LaLiga players — Pedri, Ãlex Baena, Raphinha, Mbappé, Isco and Luis Milla — creating more.

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But in that troubling, 15-game run without an assist, the team dropped points in six matches, many against so-called beatable opponents: Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol, Atlético Madrid, Osasuna, Real Betis and Valencia. Madrid ended the season four points behind champions Barcelona.

Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Vinícius bounced back from his Ballon d’Or setback with four goals in three games against AC Milan, Atalanta and RB Salzburg, before a man-of-the-match performance in Madrid’s 3-2 playoff first leg win at Manchester City on Feb. 11, 2025.

But after that — against Atlético Madrid in the round of 16, and Arsenal in the quarterfinals — his influence was limited, with just a goal against the Gunners at the Bernabéu. Only 10 players produced more Champions League goals and assists than Vinícius’ seven over the last year, with 17 players have created more chances.

As for this year’s Ballon d’Or, the two main contenders were Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning exploits earning Dembélé the trophy at the gala in Paris on Sept. 22. Vinícius was 16th in the vote,

Can Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior recapture the form that made him a top contender for the Ballon d’Or? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

After Vinícius’s close relationship with Carlo Ancelotti — now his national team coach with Brazil — the arrival of Alonso has meant a re-evaluation of his position at Real Madrid. Under Ancelotti, if Vinícius was fit, he invariably started.

But Alonso left Vinícius out of the starting lineup for Madrid’s game at Real Oviedo on Aug. 24, and against Marseille in the Champions League on Sep. 16, a decision which — according to a source — was met with surprise inside the club.

In both matches, Alonso preferred Vini’s compatriot Rodrygo, who has told the coach he also wants to be considered for selection on the left wing. Even when Vinícius has started games under Alonso, he hasn’t often stayed on the pitch.

In Alonso’s first 12 games in charge in all competitions, Vinícius completed 90 minutes just once. Earlier in the season, the player’s entourage told ESPN they were not happy with Alonso’s use of Vinícius, although the situation has improved since — playing 90 minutes in three of the last five games — and Alonso has remained publicly supportive.

“He had a great impact,” Alonso said about Vinícius’ latest contribution as a substitute, at Getafe on Sunday. “We talked about it this morning, that [the players] could be just as important from the start, or changing the game off the bench. And that’s what happened. … That’s what it’s about, everyone knowing they can be important in the role they have.”

In the last month, Vinícius’ form has improved. He excelled in Madrid’s 4-1 win at Levante on Sep. 23, contributing a goal and an assist. He scored twice in one of the team’s toughest tests this season, a 3-1 win over top-four-chasing Villarreal on Oct. 4. And at Getafe, he came on in the 55th minute to transform the game, causing two opposing players — Allan Nyom and Ãlex Sancris — to be sent off as they tried to cope with him.

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Could Vinicius Jr really leave Real Madrid?

Gab Marcotti discusses the possibility of Vinicius Jr leaving Real Madrid and where he could go.

Vinícius’ short-term future is clear: after a shaky start, he once again looks like an important part of a Madrid team looking to beat Barcelona to the title, and improve on last season’s quarterfinal Champions League exit.

Looking further ahead, there is no such clarity. Contract talks — with Vinícius’ current deal due to expire in June 2027 — are at a standstill, sources have told ESPN.

Negotiations made some progress in May, when a possible new agreement worth a fixed €20 million a year, plus another €10m in variables, was discussed. However, the club’s formal offer then failed to include those bonuses, sources said.

On that basis, Vinícius’ representatives did not see the need to agree to a three-year extension, when the player already earns around €17m a year after tax, including bonuses, and preferred to wait to see how this season unfolds.

However, several club sources paint a different picture, with some saying there is some unhappiness behind the scenes at the Bernabéu about how talks have been handled by the player. One source claimed Madrid had believed the renewal was on track before the players’ demands changed.

Madrid have remained confident that Vinícius would end up renewing, but one source said that — unless the situation changes — it would no longer be a shock if the player sought to run down his contract, and leave on a free transfer in 2027.

The interest which emerged from the Saudi Pro League last year has not been followed up on in 2025, and Vinícius’ camp have since played down that possibility.

Recent history suggests that in a contract stand-off at the Bernabéu, even the biggest stars — think Cristiano Ronaldo or Sergio Ramos — don’t tend to come out on top. But there’s also no precedent for a Madrid star, at their peak, choosing to run down their contract.

“I’m happy here, playing with the best players in the world, the best coach [Ancelotti], the best president [Florentino Pérez], where everyone loves me,” Vinícius said last season.

“I couldn’t be anywhere better than here.”

Is that still true? The answer will depend on Vinícius’ form, his developing relationship with Alonso, and how player and club manage his contract situation.

ESPN’s Gustavo Hofman and Rodrigo Faez contributed to this report

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Euro Leagues: Kane for Ballon d’Or & Faroe Islands at the World Cup?

John Bennett, Guillem Balague, Rafa Honigstein and Mina Rzouki discuss all the latest in European football. Jean-Philippe Mateta has his first start for France at the age of 28 – but he’s ruffled some feathers after calling out former teammate Wilfried Zaha. Nick Woltemade has now scored in his last 4 games for club and country – how big was this international break for him? Der Klassiker is this weekend – the only 2 unbeaten teams in Bundesliga face off but who will come out on top? Gennaro Gattuso has won his last four with Italy, and in Serie A, have AS Roma finally hit the jackpot with Gian Piero Gasperini? Plus Faroe Islands’ Odmar Faero drops by with his country just a point away from the World Cup play-off spots – can they become the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup? And what’s the latest with Jude Bellingham after his omission from the England squad? How has that been received across the continent? And how important is Mikel Merino for Spain?

01:05- Mateta and Zaha
09:50 – Woltemade
17:20 – Can Harry Kane win the Ballon d’Or?
24:05 – Italy
31:15- Roma
36:30 – Faroe Islands’ Odmar Faero
47:15- Jude Bellingham

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Football Manager super fan Ousmane Dembele must be excited for the new game to drop.

During the 2018 World Cup, Dembele went viral for his quest to take the fictional Winchester FC into the Premier League in the game – and as life imitates art, the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner has reached the pinnacle of the sport himself.

Given the kind of football IQ that it takes to play under Luis Enrique though, FourFourTwo were keen to know the answer to our burning question: does Dembele owe a little of his incredible rise and his exceptional football IQ to Football Manager?

“Whether it was his idea or the manager’s at Paris Saint-Germain to switch him from playing wide to playing in the middle, but the way he’s adapted to that, he’s thoroughly deserving of the Ballon d’Or and hopefully he’ll still have time to play Football Manager!

Football Manager 26 is out on November 4, 2025.

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The glittery stardust may have only just settled after the 2025 ceremony in Paris in September, but the list of early favourites for next year’s men’s Ballon d’Or trophy are already beginning to take shape.

An award that typically favours players at the top end of the pitch, it is perhaps unsurprising that attackers dominate the list of front-runners to lift the most prestigious individual prize in world football.

Here’s our Ballon d’Or power rankings, along with the bookies’ odds for the prize: featuring an England international a teenage Spanish superstar, two World Cup winners, and a Manchester City frontman.

All odds from Betfair

1. Lamine Yamal (4/1)

Lamine Yamal of Barcelon (Image credit: Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

The stratosphere, let alone the sky, seems to be the limit for Lamine Yamal. Barcelona’s generational teenage talent, who has broken numerous records since making his debut at 16, was pipped to the trophy by Ousmane Dembele at the most recent ceremony.

Yamal, who tops the list of FourFourTwo’s best right wingers in the world right now, recently declared: “I don’t dream of one Ballon d’Or, I dream of many. If I don’t get them, it will be my fault.”

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Should he continue on his current career trajectory, it may be difficult to disagree.

2. Kylian Mbappe (5/1)

Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring for Real Madrid (Image credit: Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

By his lofty standards, Kylian Mbappe’s start to life at the Bernabeu was rather slow.

After finishing second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Vinicius Junior’s talents may have been eclipsed by the likes of Yamal and Dembele over the past 12 months. But the Brazilian remains a special talent who can get fans out of their seats with his dazzling footwork.

Could Cole Palmer become the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001? That will likely depend heavily on how the Chelsea star, and indeed the Three Lions, fare at next summer’s World Cup finals, should both make it there.

Tied with Palmer in fifth place in the bookies’ odds is the towering Norwegian. While Manchester City had plenty of miserable moments last season, Erling Haaland still had an impressive individual return with 34 goals in all competitions.

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Lamine Yamal has enjoyed an outstanding year for Barcelona and the Spanish national team despite the fact he has only recently turned 18.

Yamal ran Ballon d’Or favourite and eventual winner Ousmane Dembele close for football’s best individual prize, but lost out as judges deemed the Frenchman’s efforts superior to that of the young Spaniard.

There were jubilant scenes in the French capital as the ceremony’s main prize was awarded to the Champions League-winning Paris Saint-Germain forward.

Yamal did not leave empty-handed, however, taking home the coveted Kopa Trophy, which recognises the best player in Men’s world football under the age of 21, for a second year running.

“He [Lamine]’s the greatest,” Nasraoui told El Chiringuito. “I’m not going to say theft, but rather moral damage to a human being.

“Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world by far. It’s not just because he’s my son, but because he’s the best player in the world.

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“Lamine is Lamine. We have to say that something strange has happened here. Next year it’s ours. Next year the Ballon d’Or will be Spanish,” he added, defiantly.

How is the Ballon d’Or decided?

Voters are instructed to base their choices on three main criteria: Individual Performance, Team Success and Fair Play.

PSG’s inaugural Champions League victory is therefore likely to have worked in Dembele’s favour, although the French forward was, in his own right, instrumental during that historic run which culminated in the 5-0 final demolition of Inter Milan.

Meanwhile, in the Women’s category, Aitana Bonmati took home the Ballon d’Or Feminin for a third consecutive year.

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Sep 23, 2025, 05:57 AM ET

Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi congratulated their former club teammate Ousmane Dembélé after he won the Ballon d’Or award on Monday.

Dembélé beat Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to lift the prestigious individual trophy after an impressive season with Paris Saint-Germain.

The France forward scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists in 53 games to help PSG win their first Champions League as well as winning the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France.

Mbappé, who left PSG in the summer of 2024 after seven years at the club to join Real Madrid, was among the first to congratulate his France teammate.

“Ousmane Dembélé. It’s so exciting, my brother! You deserve it 1000 times,” Mbappé wrote on his Instagram minutes after Dembélé was handed the award.

Ousmane Dembélé won the 69th Ballon d’Or award ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. Kristy Sparow – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

Mbappé, 26, who has yet to win a Ballon d’Or, finished seventh in this year’s edition.

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, was also thrilled to see Dembélé get the recognition he deserves.

– The Henry-like switch that helped Dembélé win the Ballon d’Or
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Messi spent four seasons with Dembélé at Barcelona before the Argentinian star moved to PSG in 2021.

The Inter Miami captain left a comment in Spanish on Dembélé’s Instagram and wrote: “Great Ous!!! Congratulations I’m so happy for you. You deserve it.”

Dembélé, who moved to PSG in 2023 from Barcelona in the same transfer window that saw Messi leave the French giants to join Inter Miami, mentioned his former Barça teammate during his acceptance speech.

“I learned so much there [at Barcelona], playing alongside players like Messi and [Andres] Iniesta,” he said on Monday.

“It was a great learning experience. I am so happy, when I see the list of legends who have won this award.”

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Paris Saint-Germain and France footballer Ousmane Dembele is the winner of the Menâ€s Ballon dâ€Or 2025 award for being the player of the year. Meanwhile, Spain and Barcelona Femení player Aitana Bonmatí won her third Womenâ€s Ballon dâ€Or in a row.

The Ballon dâ€Or is an annual award ceremony hosted by France Football magazine to award and celebrate some of the best footballers in the world. The award, essentially, determines who is to be awarded as the best player in the world over the past year.

Dembele and Bonmati win Ballon d’Or 2025

The 69th Ballon dâ€Or award ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris celebrated players and managers who had a splendid 2024-25 season. We start with the award that is not given for the on-field success of a player or a team, but for humanitarian work done around the support, the Sócrates Award.

Luis Enríques†Xana Foundation won this award, which aims to assist families of young people affected by serious illness. The organisation is named after Enriqueâ€s daughter, Xana, who passed away in 2019 at the age of nine.

We now move to the Menâ€s and Womenâ€s Koppa Trophy, given to the best U21 players in the world. The trophy was awarded to womenâ€s footballers for the first time ever, with Spain and Barcelona midfielder Vicky López being the first-ever winner.

As for the menâ€s title, to no oneâ€s surprise, Lamine Yamal won it for the second year in a row, becoming the first-ever two-time Kopa Trophy winner.

Next up is the Menâ€s and Womenâ€s Johan Cruyff Trophy, given to the best managers in menâ€s and womenâ€s football. In the womenâ€s category, there was no competition, as Sarina Wiegman, who is the manager of the England Womenâ€s National Team. Wiegman guided England to their second UEFA Womenâ€s Euro title in a row.

The menâ€s title was much more competitive. Liverpoolâ€s Arne Slot, Chelseaâ€s Enzo Maresca, Barcelonaâ€s Hansi Flick, and Napoliâ€s Antonio Conte did better with their sides than was expected. But there was always going to be only one winner in this category, that being Luis Enrique, who won the treble with PSG, including the UEFA Champions League. Enrique, not present at the ceremony, accepted the award with a pre-recorded message.

Speaking of PSG, they were named the best Menâ€s Club of the Year for winning that aforementioned treble. Meanwhile, the Womenâ€s Club of the Year award was given to Arsenal WFC, which won only one title the previous season, that being the Champions League.

Check Out: Dembele and Bonmati win Ballon dâ€Or 2025

Now we arrive at individual awards. First up, the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper of the year. The Menâ€s title, while being a fierce competition between the likes of Liverpoolâ€s Alisson Becker, Inter Milanâ€s Yann Sommer, and Real Madridâ€s Thibaut Courtois, was naturally won by Italy and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

On the other hand, the Womenâ€s Yashin Trophy, an award that was being given out for the first time ever, was won by England and Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, the first ever woman to win the Yashin Trophy.

Next up, the Gerd Müller Trophy. Like some other awards on the night, the women were getting the award for the best striker in the world for the first time. Poland and Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor became the first-ever Womenâ€s Gerd Müller Trophy winner.

As for the men, the answer was quite obvious here. Viktor Gyökeres lit the world on fire with his performances for Sporting CP the year before, and he was recognised as the best striker in the world as the winner of the Gerd Müller Trophy.

And finally, we arrive at the Ballon dâ€Or 2025 winner. The title is given to the best menâ€s and womenâ€s footballers in the world for the past year. In the Womenâ€s Ballon dâ€Or 2025 category, the top 10 was filled with players from Barcelona, Arsenal, and Chelsea. The top two were Arsenal striker Mariona Caldentey and Barca midfielder Aitana Bonmati.

But it was Bonmati who picked up the award for the third year in a row. The award, first given in 2018, has been awarded on seven occasions to four different players. Aitana Bonmatiâ€s dominance over this record, however, has been unparalleled, as she has now won it thrice, and that too back-to-back-to-back.

Meanwhile, the Menâ€s Ballon dâ€Or 2025 was a much closer battle. Players with stellar seasons like Florian Wirtz, Erling Haaland, and Jude Bellingham didnâ€t even crack the top 20. Last yearâ€s Ballon dâ€Or winner Rodri, runner-up Vinicius Jr, a world-class striker like Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski, and a player like Scott McTominay, who had a career season, failed to make it to the top 10.

Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes finished 10th on the list, while Yashin Trophy winner Donnarumma was ninth. England striker Cole Palmer finished 8th, behind Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe and PSGâ€s Achraf Hakimi in 7th and 6th, respectively.

Barcelona winger Raphinha, who was a favourite to win the award throughout the year, kicks off the top five. Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, who was arguably the best striker of the year, finished fourth in the Menâ€s Ballon dâ€Or 2025 list, while PSG midfielder Vitinha cracked the top 3.

This means that young Barcelona star and Kopa Trophy winner Lamine Yamal was to take on Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele for the biggest individual title in football.

While Yamal is looked at as a future great and one of the best young prospects in the sport ever, tonight belonged to France and PSG star Dembele, who, only a couple of years ago, was seen as a player with wasted potential on the bench at FCB. This is the second time in the past five seasons that a French player has won this award, after Karim Benzema did so in 2022.

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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 Bonmatí 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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Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati has made history by becoming the first player to win the women’s Ballon d’Or three times.

Bonmati, 27, took the award with her international team-mate, Arsenal winger Mariona Caldentey, coming second.

There were five England players in the top 10. Arsenal trio Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly and Leah Williamson came third, fifth and seventh respectively, with Chelsea duo Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton ninth and 10th.

Bonmati also won the award in 2023 and 2024. It means Barcelona players have won the honour in each of the past five years after midfielder Alexia Putellas earned the prize in 2021 and 2022.

Speaking on stage, Bonmati, who received the award from Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, said: “My third time in a row here, and I still can’t believe it. Incredible. Thank you to France Football for this, for the third time – it really could have gone to anyone.

“If it was possible to share it I would, because I think it has been a year with an exceptionally high level, above all among my team-mates, who had a great year.

“Also to receive it from the hands of Andres Iniesta, one of my idols since I was little, alongside Xavi. I learned my football from them – to this day I thank them for all that they have taught me. Thank you to them for everything that they have done in football.

“I owe Barcelona everything – this is the club of my life. I hope to represent this badge for many more years.”

The award, officially called the Ballon d’Or Feminin, recognises the best footballer of the year and is voted for by a jury of journalists.

Outside the top 10, Arsenal defenders Emily Fox and Steph Catley came 25th and 29th respectively, with midfielder Frida Maanum ending 27th. Chelsea pair Sandy Baltimore and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd finished 15th and 23rd, while former Blues midfielder Pernille Harder was 20th.

Scotland and Real Madrid midfielder Caroline Weir finished 30th in the vote.

It was a great night for the Lionesses as manager Sarina Wiegman won the women’s coach award and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton was named best women’s goalkeeper.

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