Ousmane Dembele crowned Ballon d'Or winner as PSG dominate award night
Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí continued her dominance in women's football by clinching the Ballon d'Or Feminin for the third year running
 "Ousmane Dembele crowned Ballon d'Or winner as PSG dominate award night")
Ousmane Dembele was named the world’s best player of the season as he lifted the prestigious Ballon d’Or, capping a night of triumph for Paris Saint-Germain. The 28-year-old French forward, who inspired PSG to their maiden Champions League title last season, became the sixth French player to win the award and the first since Karim Benzema in 2022.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí continued her dominance in women’s football by clinching the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the third year running, underlining her position as one of the game’s most decorated players.
Why this matters
Dembele’s recognition marks a personal and collective breakthrough. Once considered an unfulfilled talent plagued by injuries, the forward has reinvented himself under PSG coach Luis Enrique. His Ballon d’Or reflects not only his resurgence but also the culmination of PSG’s long quest for European glory.
The award also highlights a generational shift. While Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated for nearly two decades, Dembele’s win signals a new era led by stars who are redefining football’s balance of power.
A tearful tribute and a team-first message
Accepting the trophy from Brazilian legend Ronaldinho in Paris, Dembele described the moment as “exceptional.” Overcome with emotion, he thanked his club, coach, and teammates for their support through both highs and lows, calling the honour “a collective achievement.”
He also paid tribute to his mother, Stade Rennais, and the French national team, vowing to help Didier Deschamps’ side secure another World Cup next year. “We have practically won everything together. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively,” he said.
PSG sweep major honours
It was a historic evening for PSG, who swept the awards after a treble-winning campaign that included the Champions League, Ligue 1, and French Cup. The club was named Team of the Season, Luis Enrique took the Best Coach prize, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, now at Manchester City, received the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.
“This is the result of hard work by everyone at the club,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “We have young players and stars who work for the team. It’s a collective achievement.”
Bonmatí’s unmatched consistency
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí collected her third straight women’s Ballon d’Or. She acknowledged the role of her teams in her sustained success, even as Barcelona fell short in the Champions League final this year.
“I’m amazed and proud because it’s a lot of hard work. I’m here for the third time in a row because of the teams I’ve been playing with,” Bonmatí said.
| Ballon d’Or winners since 1956 | ||
| Year | Winner | Nation |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | England |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | France |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain |
| 1960 | Luis Suarez | Spain |
| 1961 | Omar Sivori | Italy |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust | Czechoslovakia |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin | Soviet Union |
| 1964 | Denis Law | Scotland |
| 1965 | Eusebio | Portugal |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton | England |
| 1967 | Florian Albert | Hungary |
| 1968 | George Best | Northern Ireland |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera | Italy |
| 1970 | Gerd Müller | West Germany |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin | Soviet Union |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen | Denmark |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan | England |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan | England |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Italy |
| 1983 | Michel Platini | France |
| 1984 | Michel Platini | France |
| 1985 | Michel Platini | France |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov | Soviet Union |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit | Netherlands |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus | Germany |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | France |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Italy |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria |
| 1995 | George Weah | Liberia |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer | Germany |
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Brazil |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane | France |
| 1999 | Rivaldo | Brazil |
| 2000 | Luis Figo | Portugal |
| 2001 | Michael Owen | England |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedvěd | Czech Republic |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ukraine |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Brazil |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Italy |
| 2007 | Kaka | Brazil |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi | Argentina* |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi | Argentina* |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi | Argentina* |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal* |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal* |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | Argentina* |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal |
| 2018 | Luka Modric | Croatia |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2020 | Cancelled (COVID-19) | — |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema | France |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2024 | Rodri | Spain |
| 2025 | Ousmane Dembele | France |
| *From 2010–2015, the award was merged with FIFA’s World Player of the Year to create the FIFA Ballon d’Or. | ||