Dembele edged out Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to claim the first Ballon d’Or of his career. ..Continue Reading
He gave a heartfelt speech while standing beside his mother during Monday night’s event in Paris.
“What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with Paris Saint-Germain,” he said.
“I feel a bit of stress, it’s not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional.
“I want to thank PSG who came to get me in 2023. It’s an incredible family. The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me. I also want to thank all the staff and the coach, who have been exceptional with me – he too is like a father – and all my team-mates.
“We have practically won everything together. You supported me in the good and the difficult times. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively.”
Several PSG players featured in the Ballon d’Or rankings alongside Dembele, including Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, and Nuno Mendes.
Also in the top ten were Raphinha, Kylian Mbappe, and Premier League stars Salah, Cole Palmer, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Liverpool responded on social media following Salah’s absence from the top spot.
Meanwhile, his fellow Reds Ibrahima Konate and Hugo Ekitike posted tributes online to celebrate Dembele’s achievement.
Konate uploaded a photo with Dembele, captioned: “Felicitation mon frere,” which translates to congratulations my brother in English.
Ekitike reshared Ballon d’Or’s post on his Instagram story, adding: “Sur le toit du monde,” meaning on top of the world in English.
PSG’s dominance in the rankings reflected their Champions League triumph last season.
They crushed Inter Milan 5-0 to secure their first-ever European title.
The Parisians also added three more trophies to their cabinet, finishing the 2024/25 campaign with four major honours.
Dembele, Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, and Nuno Mendes all earned top ten spots, along with Donnarumma, who was part of PSG’s squad last season.
Ballon d’Or 2025 Rankings:
1 – Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
2 – Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
3 – Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
4 – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
5 – Raphinha (Barcelona)
6 – Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
7 – Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
8 – Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
9 – Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City)
10 – Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
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