Ousmane Dembélé Wins Ballon d’Or as Sixth French Player

For decades, the Ballon d’Or was synonymous with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, as their careers wind down, neither featured on this year’s shortlist. Instead, the spotlight fell on Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal, with the battle for football’s most prestigious individual prize focusing squarely on the two. Ultimately, Dembélé emerged victorious, surpassing Yamal.

On Monday, 22 September, in a glittering ceremony in Paris, the 28-year-old PSG forward was presented with the Ballon d’Or 2025 by French magazine France Football. This marked his first win, making him the sixth French player to claim the accolade.

Dembélé took the stage alongside his mother, acknowledging her presence first. Tearfully, he said, “We did this together,” before regaining his composure to deliver his acceptance speech: “One of the greatest achievements of my career. I want to thank PSG for signing me in 2023. My teammates have been incredible again this year. This is not an individual trophy – it is our collective achievement.”

Many had predicted Dembélé’s victory, given his contributions to PSG’s successful season across multiple competitions:

Dembélé played a pivotal role in PSG winning Ligue 1, the French Cup, and the Champions League, scoring decisive goals, including the lone goal in the French Super Cup.

Lamine Yamal, the young Spanish winger, provided strong competition for the award. He had a stellar season with Barcelona, contributing to La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup victories. Across all competitions, Yamal played 55 matches, scoring 18 goals and providing 25 assists, cementing his position as runner-up.

With this victory, Dembélé joins an illustrious list of French Ballon d’Or winners:

1. Raymond Kopa
2. Michel Platini
3. Jean-Pierre Papin
4. Zinédine Zidane
5. Karim Benzema
6. Ousmane Dembélé

Dembélé’s PSG teammates were unable to attend the ceremony, as Marseille hosted PSG in a Ligue 1 match on the same evening. Despite PSG losing 1–0 under coach Luis Enrique, the loss was unlikely to overshadow Dembélé’s historic personal achievement.

Ousmane Dembélé’s triumph not only marks a milestone in French football history but also reflects his exceptional performance across domestic and European competitions, solidifying his status as one of the top footballers of his generation.