Ousmane Dembele bagged the prestigious Ballon d'Or award at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France, on Monday.
The French forward trumped Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to the award after enjoying a fantastic 2024/25 campaign with PSG as he played a big role in their first-ever Champions League triumph.
It has been an emotional journey for Dembele with several ups and downs in his careers mostly due to injuries and inconsistent form.
However, his move to PSG worked wonders as manager Luis Enrique unlocked his true potential as he delivered a 35-goal season which led to PSG winning the treble and losing out in the final of the Club World Cup against Chelsea.
They even backed it up by winning the UEFA Super Cup where they defeated Tottenham Hotspur on penalties.
The PSG star became only the sixth Frenchman to bag the prestigious award following legends like Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
He had his career-best season in terms of goal contribution as he finished with 35 goals and 16 assists, and his efforts didn't go unnoticed.
Overall, PSG players dominated the rankings as five players were present in the top 10 including Vitinha (third), Achraf Hakimi (sixth), Gianluigi Donnarumma (ninth) and Nuno Mendes (10th).
What did Olivier Giroud say about Dembele's Ballon d'Or win?
Olivier Giroud has played with Dembele during their time at France national team and the former France skipper admitted that he never thought the PSG star could bag the Ballon d'Or award.
He highlighted how Dembele's talent was never in question, but the former Arsenal and Chelsea forward never thought his compatriot had it in him to win the prestigious award.
“Would I see him as a potential Ballon d'Or winner? It’s hard to say, but when I saw him every day in the French national team, no, I didn’t necessarily see it as a possibility," Giroud told L'Equipe regarding Dembele's Ballon d'Or.
"To win the Ballon d’Or, you have to have the talent, but also a good season. He has the talent, but he had to have a good season, at the right club, while winning everything. The Ballon d’Or always depends on collective successes."
Dembele's rise to the top and winning the ultimate individual prize in football is a testament to his talent, skill and exceptional grit as he kept chasing excellent despite multiple hindrances in his career.
Ballon d'Or news and related links
- What Ousmane Dembele said in his Ballon d'Or speech, including thanking Messi
- Ousmane Dembele stats from 2024/25 season as PSG star wins Ballon d'Or
- La Liga president drops bombshell over why Lamine Yamal missed out on Ballon d’Or to Dembele