Dembélé wins first Ballon d’Or of his career

Considered the favorite for weeks, he ultimately lived up to expectations as the Ballon d’Or went exactly where it was predicted. PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé won the award for the first time, beating Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to the honor of ‘Best Footballer of the Year.’

On Monday night in Paris, the 28-year-old received the prestigious ‘France Football’ award – the Ballon d’Or 2025 – at a glittering ceremony.

Many had tipped Dembélé to take the prize this year. He played a decisive role in PSG’s triumphs in the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the French Cup last season. The former Barcelona forward also scored the match-winning goal in the French Super Cup final.

It was a landmark season for PSG, claiming their first-ever Champions League title. Across all competitions, Dembélé scored 35 goals in 53 matches and directly assisted 16 more.

Lamine Yamal also shone brightly last season. The young Spanish winger played a key role in Barcelona’s La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup victories. In 55 appearances across all competitions, he scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists.

Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third consecutive time. She became the first female footballer to win the award three times, surpassing fellow Spaniard and Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas, who has won it twice.

At 27, Bonmatí helped Barcelona’s women’s team achieve a domestic treble last season, scoring 16 goals and registering 12 assists in all competitions. She was also named Women’s Champions League Player of the Season, although Barcelona lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the final.

The Ballon d’Or rules were changed in 2022. Instead of considering performances across a full calendar year for both club and country, the award now reflects the European football season (August to July). Winners are decided by journalists’ votes.