
Tearful Dembele Wins First Ballon d’Or as PSG Sweep Awards
Tearful Dembele Crowned World’s Best at 2025 Ballon d’Or
Ousmane Dembele has won the 2025 Ballon d’Or, capping off a spectacular season in which he led Paris Saint-Germain to an historic treble – including their first-ever Champions League title.
Dembele, 28, was emotional on stage in Paris as he became the sixth Frenchman to claim the sport’s most prestigious individual honour.
“This is the most beautiful moment of my career,” said Dembele, who missed PSG’s match against Marseille due to injury.
Dembele’s Stellar Season
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53 matches | 35 goals | 14 assists
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Joint Ligue 1 top scorer (21 goals)
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Champions League Player of the Year
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Ligue 1 Player of the Year
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Club World Cup finalist (lost to Chelsea)
After scoring just 5 goals by mid-December, manager Luis Enrique’s tactical switch to a central role against Lyon unlocked his true potential — leading to 30 more goals from that point on.
Signed by PSG for just £43.5m in 2023, Dembele’s form finally lived up to the hype of his £135m move to Barcelona in 2017.
Luis Enrique: Coach of the Year
Dembele’s revival wouldn’t have been possible without Luis Enrique, who was named 2025 Best Coach.
The Spaniard guided PSG to the treble, winning Ligue 1, the French Cup, and the UEFA Champions League — all after losing Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer.
Luis Enrique joins Pep Guardiola as only the second manager to win a treble with two different clubs.
His family’s Xana Fundacion, founded in memory of his daughter, also received the Socrates Award for humanitarian work with seriously ill children.
Donnarumma Wins Second Yashin Trophy
Now at Manchester City, Gianluigi Donnarumma claimed his second Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.
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17 clean sheets in 47 games for PSG’s treble season
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Transferred to Man City for £26m in summer 2025
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Previous Yashin Trophy: 2021
Liverpool’s Alisson finished second, while Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) placed eighth after winning the last two editions.
Lamine Yamal Takes Kopa Trophy, Finishes Runner-up
Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting but claimed the Kopa Trophy (best U21 player) for a second year in a row.
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55 games | 18 goals | 21 assists
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Helped Barca win La Liga & Copa del Rey
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Starred in Spain’s run to Nations League final
Yamal becomes the first player in history to win the Kopa Trophy twice since its inception in 2018.
Viktor Gyokeres Wins Gerd Muller Trophy
Arsenal’s new striker, Viktor Gyokeres, won the Gerd Muller Trophy for top scorer in European football across club and country.
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54 goals in 52 games for Sporting Lisbon
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9 goals in 6 matches for Sweden in Nations League
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Moved to Arsenal for up to £64m this summer
He follows in the footsteps of previous winners Lewandowski, Haaland, and last year’s co-winners Mbappe and Kane.
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