Paris St-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele claimed his first Ballon d’Or as the French champions swept several of the top honours at the ceremony in Paris.
The 28-year-old France international was rewarded for a sensational season in which he scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists across 53 appearances, inspiring PSG to a treble of the Champions League, Ligue 1 title and French Cup.
He also finished joint-top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals and was named both Ligue 1 and Champions League player of the year.
Dembele, who edged Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal to the prize, was visibly emotional on stage, where he was joined by his mother and presented the award by Ronaldinho. “It’s exceptional, I have no words,” he said. “This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively.”
The forward credited PSG and manager Luis Enrique, who was named coach of the year, for his revival.
A tactical switch in December saw Dembele move from the wing to a central role, sparking a run of 30 goals from that point onwards.
It marks a dramatic turnaround for a player whose career had faltered at Barcelona despite a record move worth up to £135.5m. PSG, who signed him for just £43.5m in 2023, have now unlocked his full potential.
Dembele is the sixth Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or, and only the second this century after Karim Benzema in 2022. Yamal, 18, finished second but claimed the Kopa Trophy for best young player.
PSG’s dominance was reflected throughout the shortlist, with Vitinha (third), Achraf Hakimi (sixth), Gianluigi Donnarumma (ninth) and Nuno Mendes (10th) all placing in the top 10.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah finished fourth, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer eighth, while last year’s winner Rodri missed out entirely after an injury-hit campaign.
