The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris crowned Ousmane Dembélé as world football’s best player after a season that rewrote the script for both him and Paris Saint-Germain. The French winger capped a year of dazzling skill and iron consistency by lifting the game’s most prestigious individual award.
Once dismissed as an inconsistent talent, Dembélé stayed fit, decisive and creative throughout the campaign, helping PSG finally clinch the Champions League trophy and dominate Ligue 1. His award represents a shift in the football landscape, proof that hard work and maturity can unlock long-awaited potential.
Dembélé’s victory came in a fiercely contested field that included Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, PSG teammate Vitinha, and other global superstars.
For the first time in years, the Ballon d’Or rankings looked fresh and youthful, with established names challenged by the next generation. It also signalled a new dawn for PSG, whose years of heavy investment have now produced Europe’s top club side and the planet’s top individual player.
The Top 10 Ballon d’Or 2025 Rankings
This year’s rankings highlighted the depth of world football talent. Here’s the official top 10 with a quick snapshot of why each player placed where they did:
1. Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain, France) — Ballon d’Or winner after a standout season, key to PSG’s Champions League and domestic success.
2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain) — The teenage creator who won the Kopa Trophy and pushed Barcelona all year.
3. Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal) — Midfield engine for PSG; excellent balance, control and key passes.
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt) — Prolific season and decisive moments for Liverpool kept him high in the vote.
5. Raphinha (Barcelona, Brazil) — Creative and direct on the wing, important for Barcelona’s attack.
6. Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco) — Outstanding contributions from full-back/wing-back role for PSG.
7. Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid) — Still a match-winner; his performances kept him among the elite.
8. Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea) — Breakthrough creative season and important goals/assists for Chelsea.
9. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain) — Yashin Trophy winner and PSG’s reliable goalkeeper in big games.
10. Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain) — Defensive consistency and attacking support from the left flank for PSG.
This year’s ceremony also highlighted the continuing dominance of Aitana Bonmatí, who claimed her third straight Ballon d’Or Féminin for Barcelona and Spain. Gianluigi Donnarumma took home the Yashin Trophy as the best goalkeeper, while Luis Enrique won the Johan Cruyff Trophy for Coach of the Year. Together, the awards reflected football’s growing diversity of excellence and the rise of new power centers.
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For Dembélé, the challenge now is to sustain this peak. With Lamine Yamal improving, Bellingham growing in influence, and Mbappé always dangerous, next year’s race could be even tighter. But for now, after years of waiting, Dembélé sits alone at the summit, a Ballon d’Or winner whose story is just beginning.
