Paris glittered brighter than ever as football’s finest gathered at the Theatre du Chatelet for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, a night that saw Ousmane Dembele finally claim the sport’s most coveted individual honor. The Paris Saint-Germain forward, 28, broke down in tears as he was announced as the Ballon d’Or winner, capping a season where he helped PSG sweep the Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup, and French Super Cup. Dembele’s emotional speech, delivered with his mother by his side, resonated with everyone in the packed hall and millions watching worldwide. "What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG," Dembele said, his voice trembling. "I feel a bit of stress, it's not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional."
Dembele’s journey to the top has been anything but straightforward. Once considered a mercurial talent who couldn’t quite find his footing at Barcelona after a blockbuster move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, the Frenchman’s career underwent a remarkable transformation at PSG. After joining the Paris giants for a comparatively modest £43.5 million in 2023, Dembele blossomed under the guidance of manager Luis Enrique. The turning point came in December 2024, when Enrique shifted Dembele from his usual wide-right position into a central attacking role. By mid-December, Dembele had only five goals to his name. But what a difference a tactical tweak can make! From that moment, he exploded for 30 more, finishing the campaign with 35 goals and 14 assists in 53 matches. He was the joint top scorer in Ligue 1, with 21 goals, and was named both French top flight and Champions League player of the year.
His influence stretched far beyond domestic competitions. Dembele’s goals powered PSG to their first Champions League trophy in club history, and he played a crucial role in guiding the French champions to the Club World Cup final, where they narrowly lost to Chelsea in New Jersey. For France, he added two goals in seven appearances during the 2024-25 season, further cementing his status as a national hero. His Ballon d’Or win makes him the sixth Frenchman and only the second of the 21st century—after Karim Benzema in 2022—to claim the award. "I want to thank PSG who came to get me in 2023. It's an incredible family. The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me. I also want to thank all the staff and the coach, who have been exceptional with me—he too is like a father—and all my team-mates. We have practically won everything together. You supported me in the good and the difficult times. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively," Dembele reflected, a sentiment that drew raucous applause.
Dembele’s win was just one highlight of a night dominated by PSG and their stars. Five of the top ten Ballon d’Or finalists played for the Parisian club last season, including Vitinha (third), Achraf Hakimi (sixth), Gianluigi Donnarumma (ninth), and Nuno Mendes (tenth). Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah finished fourth, while Chelsea and England’s Cole Palmer claimed eighth. Notably, last year’s winner, Manchester City’s Rodri, missed the shortlist after an injury-plagued campaign.
But the Ballon d’Or wasn’t the only trophy handed out in Paris. The Kopa Trophy for best young player went to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for the second consecutive year, making him the first player to win the award twice since its inception in 2018. Yamal, just 18, scored 18 goals and provided 21 assists in 55 games, helping Spain to a domestic double and a dramatic run to the Nations League final. Despite rumors swirling hours before the ceremony that he might pip Dembele for the Ballon d’Or, Yamal graciously accepted his Kopa Trophy and remains a rising star to watch.
Viktor Gyokeres, who recently joined Arsenal in a deal worth up to £64 million, was awarded the Gerd Muller Trophy as Europe’s top scorer. The Swedish striker netted an astonishing 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting and added nine more in just six Nations League matches for his country. The exact criteria for the award may be a bit mysterious, but there’s no doubting Gyokeres’ goal-scoring prowess this past season.
On the managerial front, PSG’s Luis Enrique was named Coach of the Year, recognized for masterminding the club’s historic treble despite losing star forward Kylian Mbappe at the start of the season. Enrique, the second man after Pep Guardiola to win trebles with two different clubs, was unable to attend the ceremony as he was managing PSG in a rearranged fixture against Marseille. In his absence, he sent a heartfelt message: "It is time for me to thank so many people. First of all I would like to thank my family. It is a special award for them too. Then I would like to thank everyone from Paris St-Germain, everyone makes this club what it is. And of course the players, because they accomplished an incredible year. I would like to thank two very special people. First president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who always looks after the team, and also Luis Campos, we have always shared a special relationship."
Between the posts, Gianluigi Donnarumma took home his second Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, having kept 17 clean sheets in 47 matches for PSG before a deadline day move to Manchester City. Donnarumma previously won the award in 2021, when he was named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2020. Liverpool’s Alisson Becker finished runner-up for the keeper award, while Aston Villa and Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, the previous two-time winner, came in eighth this year.
On the women’s side, Barcelona and Spain’s Aitana Bonmati made history by claiming her third consecutive Ballon d’Or, the first player to achieve such a feat since the award’s creation in 2018. Despite Spain’s heartbreak in the Euro 2025 final and Barcelona’s narrow loss to Arsenal in the Champions League final, Bonmati’s 20 goals and 16 assists propelled her to the top. Arsenal were recognized as Women’s Club of the Year, with manager Renee Slegers accepting the award and delivering a passionate plea: "Invest in women. Invest in women's sport. When we do that, all of us benefit." England’s Hannah Hampton, meanwhile, won the inaugural women’s Yashin Trophy after her penalty-saving heroics in the Euro 2025 final and paid tribute to the late Matt Beard, a trailblazer in women’s football.
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be remembered for its emotional moments, historic achievements, and the unmistakable dominance of PSG and Barcelona’s brightest stars. As the football world looks ahead, the bar has been set sky-high—can anyone match the magic of Dembele’s unforgettable season?
