If you’d told a Barcelona fan three years ago that Ousmane Dembele would be standing on a stage in Paris, clutching a golden ball while crying his eyes out, they probably would’ve laughed you out of the room. But football is weird. It’s chaotic. And on September 22, 2025, it was officially Dembele’s world.
The Théâtre du Châtelet was packed. You had the usual suspects in the front rows—glitzy suits, expensive watches, and that heavy air of anticipation that only happens when the "Messi-Ronaldo" era is truly, finally in the rearview mirror. When Ronaldinho walked out to announce Ballon d'Or 2025 who won, the room went silent.
He didn't say Vinícius Júnior. He didn't say Erling Haaland.
He said Ousmane.
The Massive Upset: How Dembele Took the Crown
Honestly, the race was tight. Like, "checking the photo finish" tight. For months, everyone assumed Lamine Yamal—the 18-year-old wonderkid—was going to make history as the youngest winner ever. He’d been electric for Barcelona. But the voters clearly valued the "treble" factor above all else.
Ousmane Dembele didn't just play well; he basically carried Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever UEFA Champions League title. Under Luis Enrique, he stopped being "that guy who’s always injured" and turned into a clinical, central-striking monster.
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The final stats for his 2024/25 season are actually kind of nuts:
- 35 goals across all competitions.
- 16 assists (because he still loves a cross).
- Ligue 1 Player of the Year.
- Champions League Player of the Season.
Basically, he became the heartbeat of a PSG team that finally stopped underachieving. He scored 8 goals in the Champions League knockout stages alone, often against the biggest teams like City and Liverpool. It’s hard to argue with that kind of "big game" energy.
The Full Top 10 Standings
- Ousmane Dembele (PSG / France)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
- Vitinha (PSG / Portugal)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool / Egypt)
- Raphinha (Barcelona / Brazil)
- Achraf Hakimi (PSG / Morocco)
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid / France)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea / England)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG / Italy)
- Nuno Mendes (PSG / Portugal)
You'll notice PSG dominated the top ten. It was a complete sweep. Even Vitinha landing in third shows just how much weight the Champions League victory carried this year.
Aitana Bonmatí: The Three-Peat is Real
While the men’s side felt like a revolution, the women’s side felt like a coronation. Aitana Bonmatí won her third consecutive Ballon d'Or Féminin. Think about that for a second. She’s now in the same rarefied air as icons like Michel Platini and Johan Cruyff.
She wasn't even the favorite going into the night for some. Arsenal had actually beaten Barcelona in the Champions League final 1-0. But individually? Nobody touches Aitana. She was the UWCL Player of the Season (again) and led Spain through a massive EURO 2025 campaign.
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The gap between her and the rest of the field is still pretty wide, though Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo from Arsenal gave her a serious run for her money this time around.
The Other Big Winners of the Night
The main trophy gets the headlines, but the undercard had some major moments too. Lamine Yamal didn't get the big prize, but he did take home his second straight Kopa Trophy. He’s the first player to ever win it twice. At 18, he’s already a veteran of these ceremonies, which is just terrifying for every defender in La Liga.
We also saw the first-ever Women's Yashin Trophy. Hannah Hampton from Chelsea took that one home, which was a huge win for the Lionesses. On the men's side, Gianluigi Donnarumma grabbed the Yashin Trophy again. Even though he moved to Manchester City recently, the award was for his heroics at PSG during that treble run.
Quick Rundown of the "Other" Awards:
- Gerd Müller Trophy (Top Scorer): Viktor Gyökeres (Men) and Ewa Pajor (Women).
- Johan Cruyff Trophy (Best Coach): Luis Enrique (PSG) and Sarina Wiegman (England).
- Club of the Year: PSG (Men) and Arsenal (Women).
- Sócrates Award: The Xana Foundation (accepted by Luis Enrique’s daughter, Sira Martinez).
Why This Ballon d'Or Felt Different
There’s always a bit of drama with these things. Neymar was already on social media calling Raphinha’s 5th place finish a "joke." And yeah, Raphinha had 59 goal involvements last season—more than anyone else in Europe. You’ve gotta feel for the guy.
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But the real story was the emotion. Dembele actually broke down during his speech. He brought his mother on stage. He talked about the years of criticism, the "flop" labels at Barcelona, and the injuries that almost ended his career. It was a rare, human moment in a sport that usually feels like it’s run by robots and PR agents.
What people often get wrong about the Ballon d'Or is thinking it’s a lifetime achievement award. It’s not. It’s a snapshot of one year. And in 2025, nobody was more decisive when the lights were brightest than the kid from Évreux.
What to Watch for Next
If you’re looking to see how this impacts the future of the game, keep an eye on these three things:
- The PSG Dynasty: With five players in the top ten, they’ve finally moved past the "buy superstars" phase and into a "functional powerhouse" era under Enrique.
- Lamine Yamal’s Ceiling: He’s 18 and already the second-best player in the world. 2026 could be the year he finally grabs the top spot.
- The English Surge: Between Cole Palmer, Hannah Hampton, and Arsenal’s dominance in the women’s awards, English football is in a very healthy spot heading toward the 2026 World Cup.
If you want to relive the best moments, go find the clip of Ronaldinho hugging Dembele on stage. It’s a literal passing of the torch from one of the greatest entertainers to a guy who finally learned how to make his entertainment count for trophies.