PSG forward Ousmane Dembele was crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday night in Paris following a historic season that saw him lead his club to their first Champions League trophy along with Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles.
The award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet was showed up by emotional moment when Ronaldinho announced Dembele as the winner and the French forward broke down in tears while thanking his family after scoring 35 goals in 53 matches across all competitions for PSG.
Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal finished second in the men’s Ballon d’Or rankings while Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí claimed the women’s award and the event also paid tribute to the year’s other outstanding performers in world football.
Dembele’s victory capped a remarkable career revival since his move to Paris.
The 28 year old forward who missed Paris Saint Germain’s league fixture against Marseille due to injury collected the trophy that is awarded annually by France Football magazine with international journalists voting based on individual performances team success and fair play.
More: Ousmane Dembele stats 2024-25: Goals, assists, trophies of PSG star and Ballon d'Or winner
Fatimata’s words after her son’s triumph
Ousmane Dembele’s mother Fatimata seemed visibly emotional after his son was crowned by the prestigious award.
“I’m not the type to put myself in the spotlight I like to stay discreet," Dembele's mother said.
🤍 Ousmane Dembele's mum, Fatimata:
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 23, 2025
“I’m not the type to put myself in the spotlight. I like to stay discreet. When I go to watch my son play at the stadium, I can be in the middle of the fans, and no one guesses that I’m Ousmane’s mom. I’ve never let all this go to my head.
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"When I go to watch my son play at the stadium, I can be in the middle of the fans, and no one guesses that I’m Ousmane’s mom."
"I’ve never let all this go to my head. I worked hard to pay for his schools, his football, I always gave everything without thinking of myself at 200%, and today, Ousmane does the same for his mum. He takes care of me as I took care of my parents."
"My life has changed, but I don’t live in extreme abundance. We remain simple people."