Who Won Ballon d’Or 2025 – Dembélé’s PSG Champions League Triumph

Who Won the Ballon d’Or 2025?

Ousmane Dembélé claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or, ending Paris Saint-Germain’s long wait for football’s most prestigious individual honour. The French forward led his club to their maiden UEFA Champions League title, a campaign that proved decisive in the voting.

Dembélé secured 1,380 points to finish ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal (1,059 points), with PSG teammate Vitinha completing the podium in third place on 703 points. The ceremony took place on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Despite suffering a hamstring injury that forced him out of a rescheduled Ligue 1 match just hours before the event, Dembélé travelled to the venue to accept the award. His triumph marked a historic moment for PSG, a club that had repeatedly fallen short in Europe’s elite competition before this breakthrough season.

2025 Ballon d’Or: Key Facts at a Glance

Full Top 10 Rankings

The official standings reflected a season dominated by club performances, as no major international tournament took place during the voting period. PSG’s Champions League victory propelled multiple players up the rankings.

Ballon d’Or 2025 Ceremony Details

The 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or unfolded at the Théâtre du Châtelet, a historic Parisian venue that has hosted numerous sporting and cultural events. The ceremony began at 21:00 CET (20:00 BST, 15:00 ET) on Monday evening.

France Football announced the official 30-player shortlist on August 7, 2025. The men’s shortlist covered achievements from August 1, 2024, through July 13, 2025, extending to the FIFA Club World Cup final. The women’s shortlist covered August 1-2, 2025, concluding with the Copa America Femenina final.

Beyond the main award, the evening recognised achievements across multiple categories. Luis Enrique was named Men’s Coach of the Year after guiding PSG to their Champions League triumph. Aitana Bonmatí claimed the Women’s Ballon d’Or following Spain’s European Championship success. Lamine Yamal received the Kopa Trophy as the best under-21 player, while Sarina Wiegman earned the Johan Cruyff Trophy for women’s coaching excellence.

The absence of Rodri, last year’s winner, drew attention during the ceremony. The Manchester City midfielder was sidelined with a knee injury and could not attend the event in person.

Broadcast and Event Highlights

For viewers outside France, the ceremony was streamed internationally through various sports networks. The timing was scheduled to accommodate audiences across Europe and North America, with the 21:00 CET start allowing convenient evening viewing for most of the continent.

Ballon d’Or 2025 Nominees and Key Contenders

The 30-player shortlist reflected a season defined by domestic and continental club competitions. With no major international tournaments scheduled, individual club campaigns carried heightened significance in the voting process.

Leading Nominees

PSG dominated the shortlist with multiple representatives, a reflection of their historic Champions League campaign. Key nominees included:

• Désiré Doué (PSG)
• Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
• Vinícius Jr.
• Pedri (Barcelona)
• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

Barcelona’s strong showing stemmed from their treble-winning domestic season. Lamine Yamal, just 18 years old, emerged as one of the youngest ever nominees following his contributions to Barcelona’s Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa victories.

Pre-Ceremony Favourites

Pre-award predictions consistently identified Dembélé and Yamal as the front-runners. Betting markets favoured Dembélé based on his Champions League impact, while Yamal gained late momentum through Barcelona’s cup successes and his status as one of football’s most exciting young talents.

Raphinha climbed the predictions following Barcelona’s impressive Champions League run, whereas Mohamed Salah’s prospects diminished after Liverpool’s exit from European competition.

How the Winner Was Decided

The Ballon d’Or is awarded based on performances during a specific season, with voting conducted among international journalists. For the 2025 edition, the consideration period spanned from August 1, 2024, to July 13, 2025, encompassing the men’s Champions League final and extending just beyond the women’s Copa America Femenina.

Dembélé’s case rested primarily on his pivotal role in PSG’s Champions League victory. His pace, creativity, and goal-scoring ability proved decisive in key matches throughout the competition. Despite missing the final stages of the domestic season through injury, his overall body of work during the consideration period remained unmatched.

Club vs International Performance

The 2025 voting cycle marked a shift toward evaluating club form rather than international tournament achievements. This context elevated players whose clubs performed exceptionally in European competition, regardless of national team results.

Historical Context and Significance

PSG’s Champions League triumph represented a watershed moment for French football. The club, backed by significant investment over the years, had repeatedly faltered in Europe before finally breaking through in the 2024-25 season.

Dembélé’s individual recognition added to a growing list of French winners in recent years, following Kylian Mbappé’s emergence as a perennial contender. The result underscored France’s status as a football powerhouse at both club and international levels.

For Barcelona, the evening delivered both pride and frustration. While Yamal’s second-place finish and Kopa Trophy win highlighted the club’s youth development success, the absence of a Ballon d’Or winner for another year signalled the challenges facing Spanish football’s traditional giants.

Other Awards Presented at the Ceremony

The Ballon d’Or ceremony recognising excellence across multiple categories:

• Women’s Ballon d’Or: Aitana Bonmatí
• Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis Enrique
• Kopa Trophy (Best Under-21): Lamine Yamal
• Johan Cruyff Trophy (Women’s Coach): Sarina Wiegman
• Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper): Unspecified

Yamal’s double recognition as both runner-up and Kopa Trophy winner signalled his emergence as one of the sport’s most promising talents. At 18, he became the youngest player to finish second in the Ballon d’Or voting in recent history.

Known Facts and Outstanding Questions

Looking Ahead: The 2026 Cycle and Beyond

The 2025 Ballon d’Or concluded a remarkable season that showcased the increasing importance of Champions League performance in individual awards. As clubs prepare for the new campaign, the focus will shift to how players perform during the 2025-26 season, which includes major international competition ahead.

PSG’s success established them as a club capable of producing Ballon d’Or contenders, while Barcelona’s continued presence of young talent suggests they remain genuine contenders for future awards. The emergence of players across multiple leagues keeps the competition genuinely open heading into the next voting cycle.

For comprehensive coverage of major football awards and competitions, explore our dedicated sections on European football’s most prestigious honours and the latest results from across the continent.

Sources and References

“Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or 2025 as the top men’s player, with Lamine Yamal finishing second, following the ceremony on September 22, 2025, at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.”

— France Football announcement via multiple news outlets

“France Football announced the official 30-player shortlist on August 7, 2025, covering achievements from August 1, 2024, to July 13, 2025.”

— UEFA official announcement

• 2025 Ballon d’Or – Wikipedia
• Ballon d’Or 2025: Where to Watch, List, Nominees – ESPN
• Ballon d’Or 2025 Ceremony Live – AS
• 2025 Ballon d’Or Ceremony Details – UEFA

Summary

Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or, delivering PSG their first Champions League title and earning football’s highest individual honour. The French forward accumulated 1,380 points to finish ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and PSG teammate Vitinha. The ceremony took place on September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, concluding a voting period defined by club performances across Europe’s major leagues.

For additional coverage of major football events, see our report on England v Spain Women – Euro 2025 Final Result and Recap.