**PSG’s Ousmane Dembele Wins His Maiden Ballon d’Or**
*By Rajdeep Saha | September 23, 2025*
Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) French forward Ousmane Dembele has been awarded his first-ever Ballon d’Or, capping a spectacular season for the 28-year-old. Dembele was a pivotal figure in PSG’s treble-winning campaign, netting 33 goals and providing 15 assists across 49 appearances. Notably, he finished as the joint top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals and was honored as Player of the Year in both the French top division and the UEFA Champions League.
### Dembele Triumphs Over Yamal for Top Honor
Dembele edged out Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to claim the prestigious award. Despite nursing an injury that sidelined him during PSG’s recent 1-0 home loss to Marseille — a match delayed due to a storm — Dembele made it to the ceremony in Paris, visibly emotional as he accepted the accolade.
### A Remarkable Career Revival
This Ballon d’Or marks a stunning turnaround in Dembele’s career. Since his teenage days at Rennes, he had not managed to score double figures in a league season. The transformation began after PSG manager Luis Enrique repositioned him from a wide right role to center-forward in December 2024. At the time of the switch, Dembele had scored only five goals that season but went on to score 30 more for PSG afterward. Enrique’s tactical change was crucial in unlocking Dembele’s full potential.
### Career Highlights and Legacy
Dembele’s journey justifies the high expectations set when Barcelona invested €96.8 million (potentially rising to €135.5 million) to sign him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. PSG secured his transfer in 2023 for a much lower fee of €43.5 million. In addition to his club success, Dembele scored twice in seven appearances for France during the 2024-25 season. By winning the Ballon d’Or, he becomes only the sixth Frenchman and the second of the 21st century — after Karim Benzema in 2022 — to receive this distinguished honor.
### PSG’s Treble-Winning Season
Last season, Dembele was instrumental in PSG’s historic treble triumph. Alongside the Ligue 1 title, he helped the team secure the Coupe de France trophy and the UEFA Champions League crown. Including the Trophee des Champions, Dembele lifted four major trophies with PSG in a single season.
### Other Notable Award Winners
At the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, PSG coach Luis Enrique was honored with the Johan Cruyff Award for Best Coach. Aitana Bonmati of Spain received the Best Women’s Player of the Year award for an unprecedented third consecutive time. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal also retained the Kopa Trophy, while Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, recently transferred from PSG to Manchester City, claimed the Yashin Trophy. Additionally, Viktor Gyokeres was awarded the Gerd Muller Trophy.
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