Ousmane Dembele named 2025 Ballon d’Or winner; beats teen sensation Lamine Yamal, others

French forward of Malian descent, Ousmane Dembele, has been crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner in Paris today, securing the prestigious award ahead of Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal and several other nominees.

The 28-year-old claimed the honour after a sensational season in which he delivered 43 goal contributions in 44 Ligue 1 and Champions League appearances, inspiring PSG to a historic treble that also included the Coupe de France.

Dembele attended the ceremony despite PSG’s rescheduled Ligue 1 clash with Marseille taking place tonight. Currently sidelined with an injury, he was free to be present, although his teammates and PSG staff were absent due to the fixture rearrangement.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, continued their boycott of the ceremony for a second year running. Despite having three nominees, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe, the Spanish giants once again opted out. Real Madrid Femenino and Scotland international Caroline Weir, however, was in attendance as a nominee for the Ballon d’Or Féminin.

Before today’s ceremony, Mbappe had openly backed his France teammate for the accolade, telling Telefoot: “If it were up to me, I’d deliver it to his house.”

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal finished as Dembele’s closest rival after a brilliant campaign in which the 18-year-old recorded 18 goals and 25 assists to guide the Catalans to a domestic double, winning LaLiga and the Copa del Rey.

Yamal has been tipped to secure the Ballon d’Or prize in the next few years.