Ousmane Dembele was presented with the Ballon d'Or for 2025 at a typically lavish ceremony in Paris on Monday night, capping a remarkable redemption at Paris Saint-Germain for a player regarded by Barcelona fans as one of the worst signings in the club's history.

The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2024-25 campaign, the winner of the 2025 Golden Ball has been announced: Ousmane Dembele.

Egypt boss Hossam Hassan has entered a last-minute please for Mohamed Salah to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or as he appealed for fair treatment for the Liverpool forward. Hassan also hailed Salah as a "role model for all success seekers" in a passionate social media statement. Salah scored 34 goals across all competitions for the Reds last season and played a pivotal role in the team's Premier League title success.

If you thought the days of the Ballon d'Or generating headlines were over after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's era of dominance came to an end, then think again. After one of the most closely-fought races for a number of years, Rodri came out on top in 2024, beating Vinicius Jr into second place as Real Madrid dramatically boycotted the ceremony in Paris in protest at their star player missing out.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that Mohamed Salah and four other senior stars will sit out Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round tie against Southampton. The Reds edged Everton 2-1 in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, making it five wins on the bounce in all competitions. But Slot says heavy rotation is coming, with his most-used players to receive a much-needed rest.