Ousmane Dembele wins 2025 Ballon d’Or — PSG, France star holds off runner-up Lamine Yamal
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PSG's Ousmane Dembélé wins 2025 Men's Ballon d'Or
Above: Ousmane Dembélé poses with the Men’s Ballon d’Or trophy at Theatre Du Chatelet on Sept. 22, 2025, in Paris, France. Image copyright: Kristy Sparow/UEFA/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Dembélé's triumph feels like redemption. From being deemed a flop at Barcelona and plagued by a series of injuries to leading PSG to a quadruple and their first Champions League title, the French forward has silenced doubters and rightly earned the sport's highest individual honor.
Narrative B
Dembélé's achievement stems largely from PSG's superior resources and tactical system rather than pure individual merit. Yamal's creativity and technical brilliance at just 18 years old was by far a more impressive personal campaign despite Barcelona's shortcomings in the Champions League.