Breaking: Ousmane Dembele crowned 2025 Men’s Ballon d'Or winner

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Ousmane Dembele has won the 2025 Ballon d'Or, with Lamine Yamal and Vitinha receiving the second and third place podium finishes, respectively. The Frenchman was one of the major favorites to win the award, being key to PSG winning the historic European treble last season.

After lifting France Football's coveted award at the Theatre de Chatelet in Paris, Ousmane Dembele delivered an emotional address, thanking his teammates, coach, and family. The PSG star is the next French player to win the award, following Karim Benzema in 2022. This also marks his first win with his first and only nomination for the award.

Ousmane Dembele led PSG to four titles last season, including the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophée des Champions. He was lethal in the attack, notching up 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 games across competitions for PSG. His stellar numbers include 21 goals and eight assists in 29 Ligue 1 appearances, making him the joint-highest goalscorer alongside Marseille's Mason Greenwood.

In the UEFA Champions League, the French winger scored eight goals and created six more in 15 games. He also registered goal contributions in crunch knockout games against Aston Villa and Arsenal, and recorded a couple of assists against Inter Milan in the final. Dembele's season did not end with the treble, as he also remained pivotal in the UEFA Nations League for France and the Parisians in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Despite Luis Enrique's side failing to defeat Chelsea in the Club World Cup final, Dembele registered crucial goals against juggernauts like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the tournament.

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When Ousmane Dembele opened up about being the frontrunner to win the Ballon d'Or

69th Ballon D'Or Photocall At Theatre Du Chatelet In Paris - Source: Getty

In an interview with Le Monde (h/t Al Jazeera) ahead of the ceremony, Ousmane Dembele shared his thoughts on being among the favorites to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. He said:

"It is nice after what was a wonderful season with PSG. I think it’s true that I am one of the favourites, but we will see what happens."

Apart from Dembele, other Paris Saint-Germain players to make it among the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or include Vitinha in the third place, Achraf Hakimi in the sixth place, and Nuno Mendes in the tenth place. Gianluigi Donnarumma also stood ninth after being a part of PSG's stellar season, but left the club this summer to join Manchester City.

Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar