The end of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon d’Or on Monday as a reward for its leading role in the triumph of the Champions League of the Club last season, while Aitana Bonmati of Spain claimed the women’s prize for the third consecutive year.
Dembele, 28, surpassed Barcelona Sensation Lamine Yamal to succeed the Manchester City midfielder and Spain, Rodri, who took the trophy in 2024, as the winner of the most prestigious individual award in football, an award that for many years had been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The former Alero of Borussia Dortmund and the Barcelona striker, Dembele, who was part of the France team that won the World Cup in 2018, scored 35 goals in all competitions since the PSG claimed a double of the French league and the Cup, in addition to winning the Champions League.
With Dembele turned into a front center after the game of Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid, PSG went to Hammer Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in Munich to win the European Cup for the first time in its history.
“I really don’t have the words. It was an incredible season with the PSG,” said an emotional dembele on the stage of the Theater Du Chatlet in the center of Paris.
He added that his boss Luis Enrique, who won the club’s coach award, had been “like a father” for him.
“It is an individual trophy, but it was really the collective who won it,” Dembele insisted, who was one of the nine triumphant PSG team members last season to be nominated for the award.
“The Ballon d’Or has not really been a goal for me in my career, but I worked hard for the team to win the Champions League.”
Yamal, 18, who was Dembele teammate in Barcelona when he first went through 2023, previously won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21, the second year he considers that award.
Dembele was at the ceremony to collect his prize, while his PSG teammates were losing 1-0 in a game of Ligue 1 in Marseille at the same time, that game had been scheduled for Sunday, but was returned 24 hours due to bad weather in southern France.
Three consecutive
The midfielder of Barcelona and Spain, Bonmati, won the Women’s Prize surpassing his international teammate Mariona Calderienty, with whom he played on the side of Spain that was defeated by sanctions by England in the Women’s final of the Eurocup 2025.
Bonmati, 27, also lost the final of the League of Women’s Champions with his club last season, at the hands of the Arsenal de Caldente.
Bonmati was appointed tournament player in the euros, despite not starting any of the first two games in Spain when she recovered from a viral meningitis attack.
“I am very proud,” said Bonmati, who accredited his teammates for his role in his personal triumph.
“I think I am here for the third consecutive time due to the teams in which I play, so all this is due to them.”
Alessia Russo, one of the nominees of the triumphant team of the European Championship of England and also the Arsenal, was third.
Bonmati’s three consecutive race is still consecutive victories for its teammate in Barcelona and Spain, Alexia Putellas.
Ada Hegerberg of Norway and the Usa Megan Rapinoe star are the only other players who have won the Women’s Golden Ball since it was introduced in 2018.
The Ballon d’Or is voted by a panel of journalists, one of each of the 100 main countries of the FIFA world classification for men and the best for women for women.
Vicky López, the 19 -year -old striker who is Bonmati teammate with Barcelona and Spain, was named Best Young Female Player.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, who stood out in the PSG team that was destroyed last season before moving to Manchester City, Yashin claimed the best goalkeeper.
England’s winner Hannah Hampton claimed the award for the best female goalkeeper, while her international manager Sarina Wiegman was appointed best women’s coach.
