Ousmane Dembele has been topped as winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Paris.
The Paris Saint-Germain ahead had lengthy since been thought-about the favorite for probably the most prestigious particular person award in soccer, having impressed PSG to an unprecedented treble final season.
Dembele was in a position to attend the ceremony because of a hamstring harm that saved him out of PSG’s conflict with arch rivals Marseille, which was put again by a day due to a storm warning.
A number of PSG’s different nominees weren’t in a position to attend the ceremony due to the rescheduling, however Need Doue and Joao Neves had been in attendance as they recuperate from their very own accidents, permitting them to rejoice with their team-mate.
Barcelona pair Lamine Yamal and Raphinha completed second and third within the voting following their pivotal roles in Barcelona’s success in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey final season.
Dembele’s deserved Ballon d’Or triumph
There might be no denying that Dembele deserves the accolade given the instrumental position he performed in a history-making season for PSG.
Dembele, a 2023 signing from Barca, had 27 purpose involvements in Ligue 1 final marketing campaign scoring 21 objectives and helping six for his team-mates. He scored thrice within the Coupe de France as PSG retained that title, additionally offering an help. Nonetheless, it was his performances within the Champions League that had been important in securing him the Ballon d’Or.
Certainly, Dembele discovered the web eight occasions in Europe’s premier membership competitors in 2024-25, together with the levelling purpose within the tie in opposition to Liverpool within the final 16 and the one purpose within the first leg of the semi-final in opposition to Arsenal.
With six assists to his title within the competitors, Dembele completed the 2024-25 Champions League with 14 purpose involvements, a tally bettered solely by Raphinha (21) and Serhou Guirassy (17).
Dembele was overshadowed by Doue’s very good hat-trick within the 5-0 rout in opposition to Inter Milan within the remaining, although his two assists mirrored his vastly spectacular consistency as a constructive affect for the very best staff in European soccer.
Yamal misses out on double
Yamal had already been named because the winner of the Kopa Trophy, recognising the very best participant on the planet below the age of 21.
The 18-year-old was phenomenal in serving to Barca safe the double and attain the semi-finals of the Champions League, the place they narrowly misplaced to Inter in additional time of a outstanding last-four tie.
Certainly, Yamal scored 18 objectives in all competitions and offered 21 assists as he took his sport to a different stage following his breakthrough marketing campaign of 2023-24.
Each Yamal and Raphinha might be thought-about unlucky to have missed out. Along with his beautiful exploits within the Champions League, Barca talisman Raphinha additionally scored 18 occasions in LaLiga, laying on 9 assists, and had 5 purpose involvements within the Copa del Rey (one purpose, 4 assists).
Had Barca prevailed within the Champions League, one among Yamal or Raphinha seemingly would have collected the prize from former Blaugrana and PSG icon Ronaldinho.
As an alternative, they might solely watch because the award as a substitute went to a person who needed to depart the Catalan membership to understand his full potential.