**PSG’s Ousmane Dembele Wins His Maiden Ballon d’Or**
*By Rajdeep Saha | Sep 23, 2025*
Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) star forward Ousmane Dembele has been awarded his first-ever Ballon d’Or, capping off a phenomenal season. The 28-year-old Frenchman was pivotal in PSG’s treble-winning campaign, delivering an impressive tally of 33 goals and 15 assists across 49 appearances.
Dembele emerged as the joint top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals and earned the Player of the Year honors in both the French top division and the UEFA Champions League.
**Beating the Competition**
Dembele edged out Barcelona’s young talent Lamine Yamal to claim the prestigious award. Despite nursing an injury that sidelined him from PSG’s recent home defeat against Marseille—a match rescheduled due to a storm—Dembele made a heartfelt appearance at the ceremony in Paris, visibly emotional as he accepted the accolade.
**A Remarkable Career Revival**
This Ballon d’Or win marks an incredible resurgence for Dembele, who hadn’t reached double figures in league goals since his early days at Rennes. Much credit goes to PSG manager Luis Enrique, whose tactical switch in December 2024 transformed Dembele’s role from a right winger to a central forward. At the time of the change, Dembele had only five goals for the season but went on to net 30 more after taking on his new role.
**Career Highlights and Legacy**
Dembele’s journey highlights his undeniable quality that initially saw Barcelona invest up to €135.5 million in him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. PSG secured his signature for a markedly lower €43.5 million in 2023. In addition to his club success, Dembele scored twice for the French national team in the 2024-25 season.
He now becomes the sixth French player to win the Ballon d’Or and only the second in the 21st century following Karim Benzema’s triumph in 2022.
**Trophy Haul with PSG**
Last season, Dembele helped lead PSG to a historic treble, winning the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France, and UEFA Champions League. He also contributed to PSG’s victory in the Trophee des Champions, making it four trophies in total for the season.
**Other Award Winners at the Ballon d’Or 2025 Ceremony**
– Luis Enrique, PSG manager, was honored with the Johan Cruyff Award for Best Coach.
– Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati claimed the Best Women’s Player of the Year award for the third consecutive time.
– Barcelona and Spain’s Lamine Yamal retained the Kopa Trophy for best young player.
– Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, recently transferred to Manchester City from PSG, won the Yashin Trophy.
– Viktor Gyokeres secured the Gerd Muller Trophy.
Ousmane Dembele’s first Ballon d’Or marks a new milestone in his flourishing career and celebrates a season of outstanding achievements with PSG. Fans and football enthusiasts around the world look forward to what he will accomplish next.
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