Ousmane Dembélé Wins 2025 Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d'Or, calling the award a “dream come true” on Instagram and publicly thanking PSG, coach Luis Enrique and former Barcelona teammates including Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta. Dembélé credited Messi’s guidance with helping turn his career around, and Messi posted a congratulatory message. Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal finished second and retained the Kopa Trophy; his father called the result a grave injustice while Yamal himself responded graciously. Fans seized on Dembélé’s tribute to Messi to mock Cristiano Ronaldo and argue the award signals an end to the Messi–Ronaldo duopoly. The ceremony — which featured Ronaldinho among the presenters — was also clouded by a report of an email offering paid promotional help for Dembélé’s campaign, prompting scrutiny about Ballon d’Or lobbying and media influence.