Paris St-Germain's Ousmane Dembele wins the Ballon d'Or, the award for the best player in the world, for the first time.
Paris St-Germain's Ousmane Dembele has won the Ballon d'Or, the award for the best player in the world, for the first time.
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.
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 home defeat by Marseille in a game which was rearranged because of a storm.
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It caps off a sensational career revival for a player who had not scored double figures in a league campaign season since he was a teenager at Rennes.
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, 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.
Gyokeres wins top scorer trophy
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres won the Gerd Muller Trophy, which is awarded to the top scoring player in 2024-25 in European football for club and country.
The 27-year-old scored 54 goals in 52 games for Portuguese club Sporting last season – and nine goals in six Nations League games for Sweden.
He joined Arsenal in a deal worth up to £64m in the summer.
The exact criteria for the award is not known, meaning the winner was uncertain before the ceremony even though it is factually based.
Last season's was shared between Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe (although for his time at PSG) – with 52 goals each.
The previous winners for the award which was launched in 2021 were Robert Lewandowski, twice, and Erling Haaland.
Category: General Sports
