Who Won the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
Ousmane Dembélé—yes, you read that right! In what turned into one of the season’s sweetest underdog stories, Dembélé, the electric winger from Paris Saint-Germain, lifted the 2025 Ballon d’Or in Paris on September 22, 2025. Outshining big names and younger prodigies, Dembélé’s year was the stuff of football daydreams: glittering pace down the flanks, game-winning assists, and that legendary Champions League final where PSG basically danced circles around Inter Milan. Five–nil. In Munich! Fans hardly had time to sip their coffee before the fireworks started.
The internet, of course, exploded. My phone buzzed with messages from friends who normally only text during the World Cup. “Can you believe Dembo did it?” Even my retired uncle, who still tells tales of Platini with the reverence of a monk, was convinced this was a well-deserved coronation.
And let’s be real: for years, Dembélé felt like the ‘could have been’ story. Brilliant at Barcelona, but always unlucky with injuries and, somehow, expectations. This season, though, he went from meme fodder to an all-timer overnight. Goosebumps, honestly.
Ballon d’Or 2025 Winners List
Here it is, the part everyone scrolls for—the full list of winners. Sure, lists are everywhere, but these names each carry real stories and real sweat behind them. And, no, it’s not as stiff as a press release—these folks worked for it!
- Men’s Ballon d’Or 2025: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG & France)
- Women’s Ballon d’Or 2025: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona & Spain) — Aitana became just the third to win it three times in a row. She’s carving out a dynasty that reminds me of those Lionel Messi/Luka Modrić golden eras—but with more TikTok swagger.
- Kopa Trophy (Best U21 Men): Lamine Yamal — This kid makes defenders look like background extras in a Marvel movie.
- Kopa Trophy (Best U21 Women): Vicky López — Another one for the Barca collection.
- Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper, Men): Gianluigi Donnarumma — There should be a mural of this guy in every Italian bakery at this point.
- Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper, Women): Hannah Hampton — Proving every week that keepers can be highlight-reel heroes too.
Johan Cruyff Trophy:
> Men: Luis Enrique (coach, PSG)
> Women: Sarina Wiegman (coach, England) — Tactical genius with the patience of a saint.
- Gerd Müller Trophy: Viktor Gyökeres (men), Ewa Pajor (women) — For hammering in goals like there’s no tomorrow.
- Clubs of the Year 2025: PSG (men), Arsenal (women) — Double champagne order, please.
- Socrates Award: Xana Foundation — For using football’s spotlight to drive real change.
The Night That Mattered
Ceremony night at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris was packed and, honestly, crackled with more tension than a penalty shootout. Parisian rain tried to crash the party, but fans crowded the steps with banners, phones, and those absurdly loud airhorns. The red carpet, which usually feels like it belongs at Cannes, looked more like a live reunion: families, old teammates, managers nervously smoothing their jackets. One reporter dropped her mic interviewing Donnarumma. To be fair, the guy is enormous.
You could feel football’s weight in the room. Not the trophies or sponsorships, but that sense of generational stories connecting—Platini, Zidane, Messi, Ronaldo, Bonmatí. And now, Ousmane Dembélé, joining the “canvas,” as my friend with a penchant for art metaphors would say.
When Dembélé’s name was called, his reaction was joy and disbelief mixed in a way you can’t fake. A quick, slightly awkward hug with a PSG official, then a grin so wide it could have lit up the Eiffel Tower. The speech? Short, humble, grateful. In French, obviously. Someone behind him whispered, “Il l’a vraiment fait.” He really did it.
What Makes This Ballon d'Or Unique?
Here’s the thing—most years, everyone sort of knows who’s going to win. There’s a drumbeat for Messi, Ronaldo, or a new Barcelona midfielder who dribbles like their boots are on rails. But this year shocked many. PSG finally breaking their Champions League curse (with a 5–0 thrashing, no less!) set the stage for something special.
Dembélé’s journey, full of detours, is the story so many fans quietly hope for—a gifted player finally handling the pressure, silencing doubters, and giving the fans memories worth more than any clever headline.
Even off the field, this Ballon d’Or felt bigger. It’s as if the pulse of the game shifted from individuals obsessed with stats to teams and coaches driving each other to higher places. Seeing Arsenal’s women and PSG’s men both honored as Clubs of the Year—well, it was fitting. Both clubs put community, resilience, and drama on the map all over again.
The Winners—Beyond the Headlines
Let’s leave the formality for a moment. Nights like these often linger for what happens after the lights dim. Dembélé, probably swapping texts with his family until sunrise. Aitana Bonmatí—who has quietly become a symbolic bridge between Spanish football’s golden eras—celebrating with her crew. My own highlight? Watching a viral clip of PSG fans pouring into cafes the next morning, clinking coffee cups like they were champagne flutes, doing their own commentary over replays.
And if football is anything, it’s a million stories like that. Celebrate the glory, feel the heartbreak, and sometimes—like now—just marvel when a player who’s long lived in the “almost” column finally takes his turn in the sky.
