Ousmane Dembélé has been topped the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or after an impressive 2024-25 season with Paris Saint-Germain, a marketing campaign highlighted by lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy. With the ahead receiving the celebrated accolade, France has now matched a historic report beforehand held solely by Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
The Ballon d’Or, created in 1956 by France Soccer, is awarded to the very best soccer participant on the planet. Since then, dozens of gamers from numerous nations have stepped onto the stage to raise the golden trophy. This yr, it was the flip of one other French star, and with Dembélé’s win, France has equaled a feat that had belonged completely to Argentina.
Dembélé’s crowning marks the eighth time a French participant has secured the Ballon d’Or. Argentina had stood alone on the prime of the record, largely due to Messi, who claimed the award a report eight occasions between 2009 and 2023. Now, France has joined them on the summit.
France’s historical past with the award spans a number of generations, with previous winners together with Raymond Kopa (1958), Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991), Zinedine Zidane (1998), and Karim Benzema (2022). Within the seventieth version of the award, Dembélé grew to become the sixth Frenchman to win it, delivering France its eighth Ballon d’Or.
Lionel Messi is awarded along with his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023.
With Argentina and France now stage at eight apiece, three nations sit simply behind with seven Ballon d’Or wins every: Germany, led by Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (two every); the Netherlands, with Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten on the forefront (three every); and Portugal, nearly totally due to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 5 trophies.
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Ousmane Dembélé secures Ballon d’Or, becoming a member of Lionel Messi as PSG’s unique winners
Dembélé pays tribute to Messi in successful speech
Dembélé has by no means hidden his admiration for Lionel Messi, each throughout their time collectively at FC Barcelona and since going their separate methods. The pair just lately crossed paths once more on the FIFA Membership World Cup, and the French ahead as soon as extra referred to as Messi the best of all time, highlighting the robust bond between the 2 stars.
In his acceptance speech, Dembélé mirrored on the golf equipment and mentors who formed him as each a participant and an individual, with Messi incomes particular point out. “I wish to thank FC Barcelona, the membership of my desires. I performed with Lionel Messi, I wish to thank him too, I discovered a lot from him,” Dembele stated.
