Leading up to the night, Paris Saint Germain winger Ousmane Dembele was widely tipped by bookmakers to claim the coveted prize. ..Continue Reading
Meanwhile, the likes of Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah and Raphinha were also considered strong contenders.
Before the main announcement, the rankings from 30th place up to 11th were disclosed, featuring names such as Virgil van Dijk, Harry Kane, Desire Doue and Pedri.
The Kopa Trophy was once again claimed by Barcelona superstar Yamal, finishing ahead of Estevao, Desire Doue, Kenan Yildiz and Joao Neves.
Manchester City star Gianluigi Donnarumma and England’s Hannah Hampton were honoured as the top goalkeepers globally.
England manager Sarina Wiegman received the women’s Johan Cruyff award, while Luis Enrique was awarded the men’s version.
As the evening reached its peak, the headline accolades were presented, with Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati securing the women’s award for the third year running.
Meanwhile, the men’s award belonged to PSG star Dembele, who edged out Yamal to claim the prestigious honour.
Despite missing out, Yamal showed class—smiling and clapping before embracing Dembele.
The Frenchman was welcomed with cheers as he stepped onto the stage to become the newest recipient of the Ballon d’Or award, succeeding Rodri, last year’s winner.
Upon receiving the trophy from Brazil legend Ronaldinho, Dembele said: “I have received this award from one of the biggest legends of all time, I can’t believe this. This is an award thanks to the collective. I want to thank all my teammates.
“I want to thank FC Barcelona, the club of my dreams. I played with Lionel Messi, I want to thank him too, I learned so much from him.”
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