Ousmane Dembélé, the French winger of Paris Saint-Germain, was officially crowned Ballon d'Or 2025 this Monday evening during the prestigious ceremony organized at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The event, animated by the legendary Ruud Gullit and journalist Kate Scott of CBS Sports, saw the ex-Brazilian-star Ronaldinho put the trophy back to the French, in a packed room bringing together the greatest personalities of world football. At 28, Dembélé became the sixth French player to write his name on the prestigious trophy after Raymond Kopa (1958), Michel Platini (1983-1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991), Zinédine Zidane (1998) and Karim Benzema (2022), thus confirming his emblematic and European football status. The 2024-2025 season will remain in the history of Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most brilliant ever made by a European club.
Under the leadership of their coach Luis Enrique, PSG has won the Champions League, a long -awaited success for years, but also the European Super Cup and several national titles, offering a collective performance of exceptional regularity. Dembélé, the offensive leader of the club, was one of the main craftsmen of this historic triumph. With 35 goals registered, 16 assists delivered in 44 matches in all competitions, and a decisive influence in key moments, the former FC Barcelona player embodied the soul of PSG on the ground, combining speed, technique, creativity and composure in front of the goal. Its ability to combine individual efficiency and collective impact made the difference in crucial matches, especially during the Champions League final where its involvement was decisive in Parisian success.
Dembélé has ahead of competition
The Golden Ball race was particularly disputed this year, transformed into a duel between Dembélé and Lamine Yamal, who was able to console himself with the Kopa trophy tonight. Other players also shone and appeared among the favorites: Kylian Mbappé, author of an impressive season at Real Madrid with 43 league goals, Raphinha, Achraf Hakimi, as well as Mohamed Salah, top scorer and top Premier League player. Players like Nuno Mendes, Désiré Doué, Vitinha and Gianluigi Donnarumma have also impressed by their individual performance, creating a context where the votes of voters could disperse. Despite this fierce competition, Dembélé managed to impose itself clearly thanks to its regularity, its influence and its decisive role in the historic season of PSG. The extent of Dembélé's performance is also measured at the statistics and ground impact. In Ligue 1, the French team striker scored 21 goals and delivered 6 assists in 29 games, a ratio superior to a goal per game played.
Beyond the figures, his offensive and defensive influence, his ability to create spaces, overflow and conclude crucial actions, have made him an essential player for PSG and the French team. His teammates, themselves in great shape, could have fragment the votes in favor of other stars like Mbappé, Goué, Hakimi or Raphinha, but Ousmane Dembélé was able to federate the world electorate around his decisive contribution and his natural leadership. Its exceptional season, marked by a perfect balance between individual performance and collective success, convinced the jury to assign it the Ballon d'Or, thus rewarding a year which will remain engraved in the history of French football. A year forever in the annals of PSG and a triumph which sounds like a brilliant revenge for Dembélé, long considered as an unexploited potential talent or a player who has never fully confirmed his immense promise.
