“This is an award thanks to the team. I want to thank all my teammates,” said France and Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembélé after being crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday night at the Theatre du Châtelet in Paris.

The 28-year-old received the prestigious award from Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, admitting he was “a little stressed” as he held the golden trophy.

Dembélé, who was a key figure in PSG’s UEFA Champions League triumphant run, reflected on his journey and the people who shaped it.

He expressed gratitude to FC Barcelona—describing it as ”the club of my dreams”—and also went on to pay special tribute to Lionel Messi.

“I played with Messi, and I learned so much from him.”

Dembélé also expressed intent to win the FIFA World Cup with France under the guidance of Didier Deschamps, stating, “I want to thank Deschamps. Let’s hope we can win the World Cup too!”

Dembélé salutes his mother

A visibly emotional Dembélé also thanked his family in the audience, singling out the struggles his mother went through.

“To my mother, I want to thank you. You have always been there for me, mama,” he added. “To my family, we have experienced so much together. We have been through it all. We will always be together.”

The evening also celebrated other milestones: Aitana Bonmatí became the first player to win the women’s Ballon d’Or three times, while Lamine Yamal clinched his second consecutive Kopa Trophy for best young player.

In the final men’s rankings, Yamal finished second, PSG’s Vitinha came third, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah took fourth place, and Barcelona winger Raphinha completed the top five second, PSG’s Vitinha came third, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah took fourth place, and Barcelona winger Raphinha completed the top five.

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