Ousmane Dembélé Wins Ballon d’Or on First Nomination

PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé has been crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner in Paris, an extraordinary achievement for a player who had never even been nominated before. His outstanding season helped PSG dominate both domestically and in Europe.

At the gala on 22 September 2025, Ousmane Dembélé became the new Ballon d’Or holder, beating Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal and his PSG teammate Vitinha. It is the Frenchman’s first Ballon d’Or, a milestone that few expected at the start of the season.

Dembélé’s campaign in 2024/25 was exceptional. He scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 matches across all competitions. His performances were decisive as Paris Saint-Germain collected five trophies: the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophée des Champions. He was also named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season.

The top 10 in the Ballon d’Or 2025 standings highlighted PSG’s dominance, with four of their players in the list.

1. Ousmane Dembélé (PSG, France)
   
   
2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
   
   
3. Vitinha (PSG, Portugal)
   
   
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)
   
   
5. Raphinha (Barcelona, Brazil)
   
   
6. Achraf Hakimi (PSG, Morocco)
   
   
7. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
   
   
8. Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)
   
   
9. Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Italy)
   
   
10. Nuno Mendes (PSG, Portugal)
    
    

Dembélé’s victory is being seen as both a personal redemption story and a signal of PSG’s growing stature in global football. Once criticized for inconsistency and injuries, the 28-year-old has now reached the pinnacle of the game, earning recognition as the world’s best player.