Lamine Yamal’s father has branded Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon d’Or win the “greatest moral harm” in football, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward walking away with a prestigious Golden Ball in 2025. Barcelona wonderkid Yamal had to settle for a runner-up finish despite those in Catalunya being of the opinion that the 18-year-old is undoubtedly “the best player in the world”.
Ousmane Dembele has joined the likes of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane in an elite trophy club after being named the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was crowned the best player on the planet at a glitzy ceremony in the French capital, with the France international fending off competition from Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal was quick to congratulate Ousmane Dembele after seeing the Paris Saint-Germain star beat him to the 2025 Ballon d’Or award. The teenager finished second in the rankings but didn’t go home empty-handed as he won the Kopa Award for a second year running, and his father is confident that it will be a different story next year.
Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele was named the Men's Ballon d'Or winner for the 2024/25 season. The France international was the outright favourite to win the trophy after he led Les Parisiens to a fantastic European quadruple last season, and some fans are praising the winger. However others feel that Barcelona's Lamine Yamal was unfairly snubbed.
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.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has beaten off competition from Lamine Yamal to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The France international was crowned the best male player in the world at a ceremony in Paris on Monday night after an incredible season where he won the quadruple with Luis Enrique’s side and delivered the club a first ever Champions League title.
It is the year 2025 and Ousmane Dembele is a Ballon d'Or winner. It's a reality that might require a little getting used to, as the Paris Saint-Germain superstar's path to this point has been far from smooth, but it is a fitting end point nonetheless.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaif has jetted into the French capital from America for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony after originally planning to stay Stateside. His club's star forward Ousmane Dembele is the favourite to be crowned the best player in the world on Monday night in Paris but faces competition from Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
Paris Saint-Germain and France star Ousmane Dembele is heading to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday night in a custom-made tuxedo. The 28-year-old attacker is the red-hot favourite to land the prestigious prize after a stellar season that brought four trophies for his club side but faces competition from Barcelona and Spain teenager Lamine Yamal.
With the Ballon d'Or ceremony just hours away, a former winner has given his verdict on the two frontrunners. He revealed his vote would go to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal for his "unpredictable" style, but concedes that Ousmane Dembele's Champions League triumph with Paris Saint-Germain might "tip the scales" in his favour.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has been named “Golden Ball” winner by CIES Football Observatory, with Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe claiming the runner-up spot. There is no place in the top five for Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele despite the World Cup-winning France international being favourite to land the coveted Ballon d’Or in 2025.
Barcelona legend Ronaldinho will reportedly give out the 2025 Ballon d'Or in Paris on Monday night as Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal vie for football's most prestigious individual award. Dembele is being tipped as the favourite to win the Golden Ball after playing a key role in Paris Saint-Germain's historic treble success last season.
If the voting process for the Ballon d'Or were truly fair, Lionel Messi would have 14 Golden Balls to his name instead of eight. The Barcelona legend was by far the best footballer in the world between 2008 and 2021, but had to concede defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo five times, and Luka Modric once, as the Real Madrid duo were rewarded for spearheading their team's unprecedented success in the Champions League.
Say what you will about the merits of the Ballon d'Or, but last year's ceremony was undeniably dramatic. The event organisers, France Football, have always insisted that "no player or club knows who has won the Ballon d'Or" before the victor is announced on stage - but Real Madrid refused to even turn up after learning hours in advance that Rodri had beaten Vinicius Jr to the men's prize.
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.