The Ballon d’Or is unarguably the most prestigious individual award in football, presented annually to the player deemed the best in the world. Every year, one player is awarded the Ballon d’Or for his performances in both club and international matches, taking into consideration his skills and leadership throughout the entire season. This year, the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or was officially awarded to French forward Ousmane Dembélé, rewarded for his key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League.
Dembélé, who is currently 28, has performed incredibly well since the start of 2025 despite facing setbacks in the beginning of the season. He spearheaded Paris Saint-Germain’s attack as he scored 35 goals and assisted 16 across all competitions, while winning four trophies with the team. Dembélé was not only the Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner for the 2024/25 season, awarded for scoring the most goals in the French division, but was also named the Champions League Player of the Season as he scored eight goals and six assists in 15 matches, leading to PSG’s victory. His stats certainly back up his high plaudits.
Although Dembélé was seen as a favorite in the months leading up to the Ballon d’Or, many other players raced for the title, including 18-year old prodigy Lamine Yamal, who was ranked 2nd, and Barcelona winger Raphinha, who registered a staggering 59 goals and assists in all competitions yet controversially finished in only 5th place. Considering these statistics, many fans have found it “nonsensical” that Raphinha had not even finished in the Top 3 places. The highly praised Brazilian winger and teammate Neymar JR also spoke out to slam Raphinha’s low ranking, calling it an “absolute joke” via his Instagram. Others argued that Yamal was ranked so highly only due to his young age and claimed that he should have been ranked in a lower spot.
Dembéle had the fourth-most goal contributions (51) across all competitions, with players Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, and Raphinha all respectively having 55, 57, and 59 total goals and assists throughout the season—more than Dembélé. However, all three players were ranked lower: Kane in 13th, Salah in 4th, and Raphinha in 5th.
Thus, the rankings of the Ballon d’Or ultimately came down to the impact that individual players made on big matches, including finals and rivalries. For players Mohamed Salah and Raphinha, their influences were unfortunately cut short as their teams Liverpool F.C. and Barcelona F.C. were knocked out during the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Champions League, where the highest-ranked European teams face each other to determine the “Champions of Europe.” Last year, those champions were Paris Saint-Germain, featuring Dembélé.
Dembéle’s victory was congratulated and praised by all his club and national teammates, including PSG teammates João Neves, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Nuno Mendes, all of whom finished within the Top 10 Ballon d’Or rankings. Stade Rennais F.C., the team where Dembélé’s professional journey began, also greatly congratulated the Ballon d’Or winner with a full-page advert in L’Equipe and applauded him as the “pride of our team.”
Dembélé himself thanked Rennes alongside all his other former teams, stating, “Thank you to all the clubs I’ve played for,“ as he took the stage at the Théâtre du Châtelet to deliver his acceptance speech. “Stade Rennes, Borussia Dortmund, and the club I always dreamed of playing for, Barcelona,” he said. Dembélé joined FC Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund back in the summer of 2017 after Neymar’s departure to PSG, where he scored 40 goals in 186 matches. Dembélé’s statistics at PSG tell the colossal improvement that he has had since joining the French club under manager Luis Enrique, proving his doubters wrong.
Despite the debates that are still continuing over the Ballon d’Or results, Ousmane Dembélé has ultimately established himself to be the world’s best football player by securing the august award. He has cemented himself as a part of the sport’s long-held history, joining an exclusive list of players of football’s greatest. Now, he is officially—the world’s best.
