All hail Dembele as he overtakes Mbappe to win Ballon d'Or

Toluwani Lasisi

In an era World Footballer of the Year favourite Kyllian Mbappe is still without the gold, Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has won the 2025 Ballon d’Or award.

He beat Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to the prestigious football honour.‎

‎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.

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‎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.

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‎And he also helped PSG to the Club World Cup final where they lost to Chelsea in New Jersey.

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‎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.

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‎Dembele also scored twice in seven caps for France in 2024-25.

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‎He is the sixth Frenchman to win the award and only the second of the 21st century after Karim Benzema in 2022.

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‎Lamine Yamal, 18, finished second – and also won the Kopa Trophy for the best young player.

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‎PSG and Portugal midfielder Vitinha was third, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah was fourth.

‎Meanwhile, Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or for a third consecutive year.

Bonmati, 27, beat Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo to the top prize.

She was named best player at both the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

In spite of the Spain’s loss to England in the Euro 2025 final and Barcelona’s defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League final, Bonmati’s performances stood out.

England coach Sarina Wiegman won the women’s Johan Cruyff Award after leading the Lionesses to a second straight European title.

Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton also won the inaugural Yashin Trophy for best women’s goalkeeper.

Lamine Yamal of Barcelona received the Kopa Trophy for best young player.

Paris Saint-Germain were named Male Club of the Year following their treble-winning campaign.

Arsenal claimed the Female Club of the Year award after a dominant season in Europe and domestically.