France international Ousmane Dembele has won the 2025 Ballon d’Or after an impressive 2024/25 season.
Dembele was named the best player in the world over Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, and Mohammed Salah at the Théâtre du Châtele in Paris on Monday night.
The 28-year-old winger claimed the Golden Ball award after a sensational campaign that powered Paris Saint-Germain to a historic treble.
Once labelled “injury-prone,” the French winger silenced critics with 21 league goals, a Coupe de France triumph, and most crucially, PSG’s first-ever UEFA Champions League title.
He contributed two assists in the 5–0 final win over Inter Milan, ending the season with 14 UCL goal involvements. His efficiency, with a goal every 73 minutes in Ligue 1, was unmatched across Europe.
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OUSMANE DEMBÉLÉ IS THE 2025 MEN'S BALLON D'OR!#ballondor pic.twitter.com/xLSvNVEh51
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025
Barcelona duo miss out
Barcelona duo Yamal and Raphinha both missed out on the coveted Golden Ball despite leading the La Liga side to a domestic treble as the two decisive players. Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League semi-finals, and that did not quite help their chances.
At just 18, Yamal took the football world by storm last season. The La Masia graduate played a central role in Barcelona’s domestic success, registering 9 goals and 13 assists in La Liga while dazzling on the European stage.
Brazilian winger Raphinha was just as influential in Barcelona’s dominance. He scored 18 goals and provided 9 assists in La Liga, while topping both the goals and assists charts in the Champions League with 21 total contributions, which is a feat never achieved.
Yamal was runner-up with Raphinha finishing in fifth position.
Liverpool star Salah came fourth while Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe was named in sixth position.
2025 Ballon d’Or top 10
🚨🌕 Ballon d’Or rankings.
9 — Nuno Mendes.
8 — Gigio Donnarumma.
7 — Cole Palmer.
6 — Kylian Mbappé.
5 — Raphinha.
4 — Mohamed Salah.
3 — Vitinha.— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 22, 2025
MUST READ: How the Ballon d’Or winner is decided: Does it favour Dembele or Lamine Yamal?
Previous Ballon d’Or winners (Last 10)
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2024 – Rodri
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2023 – Lionel Messi
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2022 – Karim Benzema
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2021 – Lionel Messi
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2019 – Lionel Messi
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2018 – Luka Modric
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2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo
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2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo
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2015 – Lionel Messi
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2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo