Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé has been officially crowned the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or winner, securing football’s most prestigious individual prize after an extraordinary season that saw him lead PSG to their long-awaited UEFA Champions League triumph.
The 28-year-old forward edged out stiff competition, including Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and PSG teammate Vitinha, to win the award for the first time in his career.
A Historic Season for Dembele
Dembélé was at the heart of PSG’s dominance across multiple competitions last season. His flair, pace, and decisive goals were pivotal in the club’s historic Champions League success, coupled with strong performances in Ligue 1 and on the international stage with France.
Long hailed as one of football’s most gifted yet unpredictable talents, Dembele’s resurgence and consistency throughout the 2024/25 campaign finally propelled him to the pinnacle of world football.
Full List of 2025 Ballon d’Or Top 30 Nominees
1. Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain / France
2. Lamine Yamal – Barcelona / Spain
3. Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal
4. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool / Egypt
5. Raphinha – Barcelona / Brazil
6. Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain / Morocco
7. Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid / France
8. Cole Palmer – Chelsea / England
9. Gianluigi Donnarumma – Paris Saint-Germain / Italy
- Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal
- Pedri – Barcelona / Spain
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Napoli / Georgia
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich / England
- Désiré Doué – Paris Saint-Germain / France
- Viktor Gyökeres – Arsenal / Sweden
- Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid / Brazil
- Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona / Poland
- Scott McTominay – Napoli / Scotland
- João Neves – Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal
- Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan / Argentina
- Serhou Guirassy – Borussia Dortmund / Guinea
- Alexis Mac Allister – Liverpool / Argentina
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid / England
- Fabián Ruiz – Paris Saint-Germain / Spain
- Denzel Dumfries – Inter Milan / Netherlands
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City / Norway
- Declan Rice – Arsenal / England
- Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool / Netherlands
- Florian Wirtz – Liverpool / Germany
- Michael Olise – Bayern Munich / France
What It Means
Dembélé’s triumph continues the shift in world football’s hierarchy, with younger players like Yamal and Palmer also breaking into the top ranks. It highlights the balance between established stars and the next generation of elite talent.
The Frenchman joins the exclusive list of players whose names will forever be etched in football history as Ballon d’Or winners.