By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@ballondor.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati have won the top prizes at the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in Paris.
Dembele was voted as the world’s best player for 2024/25 by an international panel of journalists in Paris on Monday.
He beat rival Lamine Yamal of Barcelona to the award to cheers from the Parisian crowd as the 18-year-old had to settle for second place.
The French forward scored 35 goals and made 14 assists in 53 matches for PSG last season as they won the Champions League, league title and the French Cup.
He was the joint top scorer in Ligue 1, with 21 goals, and named the French top flight and Champions League player of the year.
And he also helped PSG to the Club World Cup final where they lost to Chelsea in New Jersey.
Dembele was able to attend the ceremony in Paris – and was in tears as he stood on the stage – despite the fact his team were playing on Monday evening.
The forward is currently sidelined through injury, meaning he missed PSG’s 1-0 defeat away to Marseille in a game which was rearranged because of a storm.
“What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG,” said an emotional Dembele, whose mother joined him on the stage.
“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.”
Meanwhile Bonmati becomes just the third player in football history to win the Ballon d’Or three years in a row.
Lionel Messi (2009-2012) and Michel Platini (1983-85) also achieved the feat, while no other women’s player has done so since the award’s inauguration in 2018.