Ousmane Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and France forward, has won his first Ballon d’Or at the Paris ceremony.
Last season, Dembele was outstanding for PSG, scoring 35 goals and providing 14 assists in 53 games across all competitions. He played a key role in guiding the club to a historic treble-winning campaign – the Champions League, Ligue 1 title, and French Cup.
In Ligue 1, he finished as the highest scorer with 21 goals and was also named the Player of the Year in both the league and the Champions League. Dembele even led PSG to the final of the Club World Cup, but they fell short against Chelsea in the title clash.
An emotional Dembele was in tears as he went on stage to receive the award.
He said: “What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG. 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.”
He also thanked PSG and their management for their constant support.
“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,” the 28-year-old France forward said.
Dembele has now become the sixth French player to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or.
French winners of the Ballon d’Or:
- Raymond Kopa (1958)
- Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985)
- Jean-Pierre Papin (1991)
- Zinedine Zidane (1998)
- Karim Benzema (2022)
- Ousmane Dembele (2025)
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