By Ousmane Dembele is the winner of the Men’s Ballon d’Or, Lamine Yamal is the runner up, the crowd enjoyed that one, remember the ceremony is taking place in Paris, France.
Dembele is on stage, He is handed the coveted trophy by Ronaldinho and the player kisses the golden ball and smiles for the cameras.
Ousmane Dembele wipes away tears during His acceptance speech which is in French, He is thanking the people in His life who have helped Him get to this stage, He is thanking his Mum and now she has been invited to join her son on stage.
The audience are now singing his chant, He has to silence them so He can make his speech, Dembele won Ligue 1, the French Cup and the Champions League with PSG last season, they were also runners up at the Club World Cup, individually, He scored 35 goals and contributed 16 assists for His club in 53 appearances.
The 28 year old France forward scored 35 goals and made 14 assists in 53 matches for PSG last season as they won the treble, including their first Champions League.
Ousmane Dembele, winner of 2025 Ballon d’Or
He was the joint top scorer in Ligue 1, with 21 goals, and named the French top flight and Champions League player of the year and He also helped PSG to the Club World Cup final where they lost to Chelsea in New Jersey.
Dembele, who beat Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal to the award, was able to attend the ceremony in Paris, and was in tears as he stood on the stage, despite the fact His team were playing on Monday evening.
The forward is currently sidelined through injury, meaning He missed PSG’s 1-0 defeat by Marseille in a game which was rearranged because of a storm.
PSG manager Luis Enrique, who was named coach of the year deserves huge credit for Dembele’s award because of a tactical switch in mid December, He moved Dembele from a wide right to centre forward role against Lyon on 15 December, by which stage he had only scored five goals.
He hit 30 goals for PSG from that date onwards, Dembele has finally shown the quality that persuaded Barcelona to pay an initial £96.8m, potentially rising to £135.5m, to sign Him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
However PSG, who dominated the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards, were the team who got the bargain by recruiting Him for just £43.5m in 2023, Dembele also scored twice in seven caps for France in 2024-25, He is the sixth Frenchman to win the award and only the second of the 21st century after Karim Benzema in 2022.
Lamine Yamal with His Kopa trophy for the best young player
Lamine Yamal, 18, finished second, and also won the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, PSG and Portugal midfielder Vitinha was third, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah was fourth.
Chelsea and England’s Cole Palmer finished eighth, last year’s winner, Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, did not make the shortlist this time after an injury hit campaign.
Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati retains the Ballon d’Or
Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati retains the Ballon d’Or, Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey finishes as runner up, this the third year running that she wins the prize for best women’s player in the world.
Bonmati is the first women’s player to achieve this feat, Lionel Messi and Michel Platini are the only other players to do it.
