Ousmane Dembélé secures Ballon d’Or, joining Lionel Messi as PSG’s exclusive winners

For years, Ousmane Dembélé was seen as a player with flashes of brilliance but lacking consistency. Tonight in Paris, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, he may have silenced all doubts: the PSG winger is the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or, capping off the best season of his career. And in doing so, he follows in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, who also won the Ballon d’Or while wearing PSG colors.

Heading into the gala, most analysts agreed the race was between Dembélé and Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

Both were among the 30 nominees that included Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), and Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG). Dembélé’s combination of experience, leadership, and spectacular form ultimately set him apart.

Dembélé’s triumph carries special meaning for Paris Saint-Germain. He becomes only the second player in the club’s history to lift the Ballon d’Or, after Lionel Messi achieved the feat in 2021. For French soccer fans, winning again on home soil makes this edition even more symbolic, solidifying PSG’s growing influence in world soccer.

While Dembélé claimed the night’s biggest honor, Barcelona fans also had reason to celebrate. Lamine Yamal once again lifted the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player under 21, marking his second consecutive win. After first taking it in 2024, repeating the feat in 2025 confirms his rapid ascent and strengthens his case as the heir to soccer’s biggest legends.

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PSG’s dominance at the ceremony didn’t stop with Dembélé. Luis Enrique, head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, was named the Best Coach of the Year after guiding the French giants to one of their most successful seasons in recent memory.