Dembele was the hot favourite to claim the prize after an extraordinary campaign with PSG. The 28-year-old scored 35 goals in all competitions and bagged 14 assists for the French club as they swept all before them in 2024-25 and won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the French Super Cup and the Champions League.
Dembele and Yamal were unsurprisingly the top two in the final Ballon d’Or rankings. The duo finished ahead of PSG star Vitinha, Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah and Barcelona attacker Raphinha. The top 10 was completed by Achraf Hakimi, Kylian Mbappe, Cole Palmer, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Nuno Mendes.
An emotional Dembele was moved to tears after collecting his award. He said in his acceptance speech: “What I’m experiencing is exceptional. It’s been an incredible year with Paris Saint-Germain. I’m a little stressed, it’s not easy. It’s exceptional that Ronaldinho is giving me this title. I thank PSG who came looking for me in 2023, its president, the whole team and the whole club. It’s an incredible family. President Nasser is like a dad to me. The staff has been exceptional. Luis Enrique has also been like a dad to me throughout my career, even though it’s not over. Thank you to my teammates. The team won this individual trophy.”
Yamal may not have won the main prize but he did not go home empty-handed. The 18-year-old won the Kopa Trophy – handed to the best Under-21 player – for the second year in a row. ”It’s an honor to be here again. I want to thank Barcelona and the national team. Also, my family. I don’t want to forget my teammates, like Cubarsí and Raphinha, who we can also see here,” he said as he picked up his award.
PSG’s success in 2024-25 also saw the team win the Club of the Year award, while manager Luis Enrique was named Coach of the Year. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has since moved to Manchester City, also scooped the Yashin Trophy.
