A champion of France, a champion of Europe, and now, officially, the best player in the world. Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé took home football's most prestigious individual prize on Monday evening, winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or to cap off a truly astonishing year of personal and collective redemption.

The competition for the golden ball was remarkably fierce, featuring a top ten dominated by the unstoppable PSG juggernaut that swept the continent last season. Alongside Dembélé, teammates Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and Gianluigi Donnarumma were all finalists. However, the final vote came down to a tense battle between Dembélé and Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, with the Frenchman ultimately securing the crown.

Ousmane Dembele Ballon d'Or Winner

Dembélé becomes only the sixth Frenchman in history to win the award, following in the immortal footsteps of Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema, Jean-Pierre Papin, Raymond Kopa, and Michel Platini. Crucially, he is the first player since Papin to claim the prize while actively playing for a Ligue 1 club.

Accepting the award, a visibly emotional Dembélé reflected on his turbulent journey — from his explosive emergence at Stade Rennais to an injury-plagued, heavily scrutinised spell at Barcelona, culminating in his breathtaking return to form in Paris.

"I am proud of everything I have accomplished. It's been an exceptional year, especially 2024–2025, when we won practically everything. You supported me in good times and bad. We raised our game to win all these collective trophies. This individual trophy, for me, was really won by the team."

— Ousmane Dembélé, Ballon d'Or acceptance speech, Paris
Dembele Zidane Ballon d'Or ceremony

The glittering ceremony was a complete sweep for the Parisian giants. Easing the sting of a recent domestic defeat in Le Classique against Marseille, Luis Enrique was officially named Men's Coach of the Year, while PSG comfortably took home the Team of the Year honours.

Furthermore, former PSG shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma — who departed the club after securing the treble — was awarded the Lev Yashin Trophy for the world's best goalkeeper. Having recorded 17 clean sheets and delivered heroic performances in several Champions League penalty shootouts, the Italian's accolade cemented a night of historic dominance for the French capital.