Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé capped off a historic season by winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or, edging Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal in a close contest. The awards ceremony, organised by France Football and UEFA, took place on Monday night at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Dembélé leads PSG to glory


Dembélé, 28, became the sixth Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema. He scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists across all competitions in 2024–25, guiding PSG to their first Champions League title along with Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.

“This is incredible. I am speechless,” Dembélé said while accepting the award. “I want to thank my club, my teammates and coach Luis Enrique, who has been like a father to me. This award belongs to all of us.”

PSG also reached the FIFA Club World Cup final, losing to Chelsea, but the treble secured earlier in the season proved decisive in Dembélé’s favour.

Yamal wins Kopa Trophy

Runner-up Lamine Yamal, 18, not only finished second in the Ballon d’Or but also won the Kopa Trophy for best under-21 player. The Barcelona and Spain star helped his club win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa while producing dazzling individual displays, including in the Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan.

“I need to keep working to win other awards in the future,” Yamal said, after becoming the youngest player ever to reach the Ballon d’Or podium.

Vitinha, Dembélé’s PSG teammate and Nations League winner with Portugal, finished third.

Bonmatí’s historic treble

Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí continued her dominance in women’s football by winning her third consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin, joining Lionel Messi and Michel Platini as only the third player in history to achieve a three-peat. She had led Barça Femení to domestic and European glory while also starring for Spain.

Elsewhere, Barcelona’s Vicky López won the women’s Kopa Trophy for best U-21 player, underlining the club’s rich pipeline of talent.

Other award winners

The gala also recognised achievements across several categories:

  • Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper): Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG & Italy) and Hannah Hampton (Chelsea & England)
  • Gerd Müller Trophy (Top Scorer): Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal & Sweden) and Ewa Pajor (Barcelona & Poland)
  • Coach of the Year (Johan Cruyff Trophy): Luis Enrique (PSG) and Sarina Wiegman (England Women’s team)
  • Club of the Year: PSG (Men’s) and Barcelona (Women’s)

A changing of the guard?

Football experts noted that Dembélé’s triumph marks a potential shift after the Messi-Ronaldo era. His victory comes two years after joining PSG from Barcelona, where he struggled to fulfil his potential. Under Luis Enrique, however, Dembélé matured into a decisive leader on Europe’s biggest stage.

The presence of Yamal, still just 18, on the podium suggests the future of world football may soon belong to a new generation of gifted dribblers and risk-takers.

Conclusion

The 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony celebrated not just individual brilliance but also football’s enduring appeal for flair and creativity. As Dembélé lifted his first Golden Ball and Bonmatí her third in a row, the evening in Paris underlined both continuity and change in the sport’s elite honours.