France and Paris Saint-Germain forward, Ousmane Dembélé, has been crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, marking the pinnacle of a career once derailed by injuries and inconsistency at Barcelona.
The announcement, made at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, drew widespread celebration as Dembélé, 28, edged out Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal to claim the men’s top prize. He succeeds Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, the 2024 winner.
Dembélé’s resurgence at PSG has been nothing short of remarkable, culminating in a season of dazzling performances that propelled him to football’s most prestigious individual award.
The men’s top 10 rankings are as follows:
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Lamine Yamal
- Vitinha
- Mohamed Salah
- Raphinha
- Achraf Hakimi
- Kylian Mbappé
- Cole Palmer
- Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Nuno Mendes
Meanwhile, Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí etched her name in history by becoming the first player to win the women’s Ballon d’Or three times. Her consistent brilliance for Barcelona and Spain reinforced her dominance in world football.
Youth Awards
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, 18, retained the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best men’s player under 21, making him the first to win it back-to-back. He scored 18 goals in 55 matches last season, powering Barcelona to La Liga and Copa del Rey titles and playing a decisive role in Spain’s European Championship triumph.
In the women’s category, Spain’s Vicky López claimed the Kopa Trophy, underlining the country’s growing dominance in youth football.
Other Rankings
Ahead of the main announcements, organisers released positions 30 to 11 on the men’s list, which included stars like Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior, Robert Lewandowski, and Harry Kane, who missed out on the top 10. PSG had a strong showing with Fabian Ruiz, João Neves, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia named among the contenders.
The ceremony reaffirmed Paris as the centre of world football, with Dembélé and Bonmatí standing tallest among the game’s brightest stars.
