Paris was the stage for football’s biggest night as Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or titles, capping off seasons that captured the imagination of fans across the world.
Dembele’s Career-Defining Season
Source: Ousmane Dembele on X
At 28, Ousmane Dembele finally stepped out of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow to lift football’s most prestigious individual prize. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was rewarded for a phenomenal campaign in which he scored 35 goals across all competitions, guiding PSG to a league and cup double before hammering Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich to claim their first-ever Champions League crown.
Converted into a centre-forward following Kylian Mbappe’s departure to Real Madrid, Dembele thrived under coach Luis Enrique, who himself was crowned Club Coach of the Year. Overwhelmed on stage, Dembele admitted the Ballon d’Or was never his dream but rather a byproduct of working for the team: “It is an individual trophy but it was really the collective that won it.”
Yamal’s Rising Star
Source: CFC Janty on X
While Dembele celebrated, Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal narrowly missed out on the top award but collected the Kopa Trophy for the second year running as the best under-21 player. At just 18, Yamal is already seen as the future of Spanish football and was once Dembele’s teammate at Barcelona.
Bonmati Creates Her Own Dynasty
Source: Barca Fem on X
In the women’s category, Spain’s Aitana Bonmati etched her name into history by winning the Ballon d’Or for a third consecutive year. The 27-year-old Barcelona midfielder edged her international teammate Mariona Caldentey to the prize despite enduring a bittersweet season, losing both the Women’s Euro 2025 final to England and the Champions League final to Arsenal.
Remarkably, Bonmati was named Player of the Tournament at the Euros, despite missing Spain’s opening two matches due to viral meningitis. Her resilience and consistency made her the standout once again. “I think I am here for the third consecutive time because of the teams I play in, so all of this is because of them,” Bonmati reflected.
Other Winners On The Night
Source: BarcaFem on X
The ceremony also recognised football’s next generation and its guardians in goal. Barcelona’s Vicky Lopez was crowned Best Young Women’s Player and received the first ever Women’s Kopa Trophy, while PSG’s Champions League hero Gianluigi Donnarumma secured the Yashin Trophy for his heroic performance that led PSG to the Champions League.
On the women’s side, England’s Hannah Hampton won Best Goalkeeper after her Euro triumph, while her coach Sarina Wiegman was named Best Women’s Coach, and PSG coach Luis Enrique was crowned the Best Men’s Coach.
A Fresh Era Beyond Messi And Ronaldo
For many fans, Dembele’s win signals the official turning of the page after more than a decade of dominance by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. On social media, PSG fans flooded timelines with messages of pride, while neutrals hailed his comeback story after years of injury setbacks.
Meanwhile, Bonmati’s third win in a row continues the Spanish stranglehold on the women’s game, following Alexia Putellas’ back-to-back titles earlier in the decade.
The 2025 Ballon d’Or didn’t just crown individual brilliance; it highlighted the shifting balance of power in world football, from Paris to Barcelona, from historic icons to a new generation writing their own legends.
Featured Image Source: Ballon d’Or on X
