Paris Saint-Germain’s forward Ousmane Dembele has claimed the Ballon d’Or for the first time, capping a remarkable revival in his career. The 28-year-old France international scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists in 53 appearances last season as PSG captured the treble, including their first-ever Champions League title.
Dembele was the joint top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals and earned both the French top-flight and Champions League Player of the Year awards. He also helped PSG reach the Club World Cup final, where they lost to Chelsea in New Jersey. Beating Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal to the award, Dembele attended the Paris ceremony despite missing PSG’s 1-0 home defeat to Marseille due to injury.
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His resurgence came after PSG manager Luis Enrique shifted him from a wide right position to centre-forward in mid-December, by which point Dembele had only five goals for the season. From that date onward, he scored 30 goals for the club, demonstrating the quality that convinced Barcelona to pay an initial £96.8 million (potentially rising to £135.5 million) for him in 2017. PSG, who signed him for just £43.5 million in 2023, arguably made the bargain move.
Dembele also contributed twice in seven appearances for France in 2024-25, becoming the sixth Frenchman and only the second of the 21st century, after Karim Benzema in 2022, to win football’s most prestigious individual award. PSG dominated the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, with manager Luis Enrique also named Coach of the Year.
