Dembele Flaws Yamal, Clinches 2025 Ballon d’Or

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Ousmane Dembélé was crowned the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or on Monday night, edging out Spain’s Lamine Yamal to claim football’s most prestigious individual honour at the Théâtre du Châtelet.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward’s phenomenal season, crowned by PSG’s first-ever UEFA Champions League crown, helped him become the sixth Frenchman to win the award and the first since Karim Benzema in 2022.

A Historic Season

At 28 years old, Dembélé delivered what many called the best season of his career. He played a pivotal role in PSG securing a domestic double – winning Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France and lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time.

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His statistics underline why he was selected ahead of Yamal: 37 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, along with standout performances in Europe that seized headlines.

Beating Yamal to the Crown

Lamine Yamal, the teen sensation for Barcelona and Spain, posed serious competition. Despite an outstanding season of his own, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercopa, along with influential performances in key matches, he was unable to surpass Dembele in the eyes of the voting panel.

In addition to crowning Dembele the Ballon d’Or winner, the ceremony saw Yamal win the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player (under-21), for the second year running.

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Emotional Acceptance

Presented with the trophy by Ronaldinho, Dembele fought back tears as he thanked his mother, his teammates, PSG coaches, and the club president. The forward insisted that this recognition was not just a personal achievement but a collective one for everyone at PSG and for the supporters.

Women’s Ballon d’Or & Other Honours

The Ballon d’Or evening also celebrated excellence in women’s football. Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmatí won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the third consecutive year, edging out Mariona Caldentey and England’s Alessia Russo. Despite Barcelona losing to Arsenal in the Champions League final and Spain losing to England in the Euro 2025 final, Bonmatí’s individual quality, especially her performances in the Champions League and at the Euros, shone through.

Other awards included:

Luis Enrique (PSG) winning the Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy as the best coach.

Gianluigi Donnarumma named Men’s Yashin Trophy winner (best goalkeeper).

Hannah Hampton was awarded the inaugural Women’s Yashin Trophy.

Clubs of the Year went to PSG (men’s) and Arsenal (women’s).

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