Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has capped off a sensational season by winning the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or, edging out teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and PSG teammate Vitinha.
The 28-year-old French international, who lifted the Champions League trophy with PSG for the first time last season, broke down in tears during his acceptance speech as he reflected on the difficult path that brought him to football’s grandest stage.
“Since we were four or five years old, we’ve done everything together. He’s always supported me, and until the end, we’ll be together — him and me,” Dembélé spoke of his childhood friend Moustapha Diatta, who sacrificed his own professional career to be by his side.
“Receiving this trophy, especially from Ronaldinho, is truly exceptional. I want to thank PSG for signing me in 2023. The president, the entire team, and the club. They are a wonderful family. From day one, the president has treated me very well.” He stated.
The victory is as much about resilience as brilliance. Dembélé’s career at Barcelona was plagued by injuries, with the forward missing more than 700 days of action — nearly two full years on the sidelines. Living a quiet life in Pedralbes, north of Barcelona, he leaned heavily on the support of his close-knit circle of friends, particularly Diatta, who had followed him from Borussia Dortmund to Spain.
This season, however, Dembélé silenced the doubters in spectacular fashion. Named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season, he inspired PSG to European glory and a domestic double, finishing the campaign with a remarkable 37 goals and 15 assists.
He became the sixth Frenchman to win it after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema.
Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres, and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor won the Gerd Müller trophy for most goals in the season, while Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton were named best goalkeepers in the world.