Ousmane Dembélé of PSG wins Ballon d'Or, Raphinha finishes 5th | OneFootball

The forward Ousmane Dembélé was named the best player in the world for the 2024/2025 season. The accolade came this Monday at a ceremony by the French magazine France Football, held in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet. The 28-year-old Frenchman, a standout for Paris Saint-Germain, won the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career. The award for the number 10 extends the Brazilian drought in the trophy.

The last time a player from the country won the Ballon d'Or was in 2007, 18 years ago, when Kaká shone in the Milan jersey. Before him, other idols were also crowned: Ronaldo (1997 and 2002), Rivaldo (1999), and Ronaldinho Gaúcho (2005).

"What an exceptional night I am experiencing at this moment. I am truly speechless. It was a fantastic season with PSG. Numerous things happened during my career. I am quite nervous. Just thinking that this trophy would be handed over by Ronaldinho, a football legend, leaves me speechless. I am very proud of everything I have done and already achieved during my career," said Dembélé in his speech.

To the surprise of many, the Brazilian Raphinha finished in fifth place, behind Salah, Vitinha, Yamal, and the champion Dembélé. The Barcelona forward ended the season with impressive numbers: 34 goals and 24 assists in 57 matches. He won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. In the Champions League, he was the top scorer (13 goals) and leader in assists (nine), but fell in the semi-final against Inter Milan. With the national team, he had a below-expected performance: eliminated with Brazil in the quarter-finals of the Copa América, on penalties against Uruguay.

Dembélé, on the other hand, was a protagonist in a historic season for PSG. He won the club's first-ever Champions League, being named the best player of the competition after a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final. Additionally, he won the French Championship and the French Cup.

Second place went to Lamine Yamal, just 18 years old. The Spaniard also took home the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best under-21 player in the world. In 55 matches, he accumulated 18 goals and 25 assists, winning LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. In the Champions League, he fell in the semi-final and was also runner-up in the Nations League.

The Top 10 of the 2025 Ballon d'Or was as follows: 1st Dembélé, 2nd Yamal, 3rd Vitinha, 4th Salah, 5th Raphinha, 6th Hakimi, 7th Mbappé, 8th Palmer, 9th Donnarumma, and 10th Nuno Mendes.

Gerd Muller Trophy

Viktor Gyokeres won the Gerd Muller Trophy in this edition of the awards, which honors the top scorer of the season. Playing for Sporting, the Swede scored 54 goals and provided 13 assists in 52 matches. He was the champion of the Portuguese Championship and the Portuguese Cup.

On the women's side, Ewa Pajor from Barcelona scored 42 goals and provided 14 assists in 46 games.

Sócrates Award

The big winner of the Sócrates Award was the Xana Foundation, named after the late daughter of Luis Enrique, PSG's coach. She died in 2019 at the age of nine, a victim of osteosarcoma, a type of aggressive bone tumor.

The foundation's mission is to provide comprehensive support — emotional, physical, and financial — to children and young people undergoing treatment for serious illnesses, as well as their families, ensuring they face this process with more dignity.

Check out all the men's football awards:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.