The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris delivered a night of legacy-defining moments as Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati were named the best male and female footballers in the world for the 2024/25 season.

Dembele, 28, claimed his first Ballon d’Or after a career-best campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 35 goals and 16 assists across all competitions and playing a pivotal role in PSG’s historic Champions League triumph. Operating as a false nine under Luis Enrique, Dembele’s transformation from injury-prone winger to world-class talisman was one of the season’s most compelling narratives.

He becomes the sixth French player to win the Ballon d'Or award after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini (3 times), Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema.

“He was unstoppable this season. His explosiveness, vision, and consistency made him the heartbeat of PSG’s treble-winning side,” said France Football’s editor during the ceremony.

On the women’s side, Aitana Bonmati etched her name into football folklore by winning her third consecutive Ballon d’Or, joining Lionel Messi and Michel Platini as the only players to achieve the feat.

Despite Barcelona falling short in the Champions League final, Bonmati’s influence remained unmatched. She registered 12 goals and 6 assists in the league, and added 3 goals in 11 Champions League appearances, showcasing her trademark control, creativity, and leadership.

“It’s incredible. I never thought when I was a kid that women’s football could exist like this. Now we’re leading by example,” Bonmati said in her acceptance speech.


  • Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the second straight year, becoming the first player to do so.

  •  Luis Enrique was named Men’s Coach of the Year after guiding PSG to their first Champions League title.

  • Arsenal Women won Club of the Year, while PSG took the men’s equivalent.