Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí were crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winners in Paris on Monday, 22nd September, as the football world gathered to celebrate the finest achievements of the 2024–25 season.
In the men’s category, PSG star Dembélé claimed his first Ballon d’Or after a phenomenal campaign, scoring 35 goals and providing 14 assists to inspire the club’s historic treble — Ligue 1, the French Cup, and their first-ever UEFA Champions League title.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who finished second, underlined his emergence as a generational talent with 21 goals and 26 assists, while also taking home the Men’s Kopa Trophy for best U21 player for the second year running.
On the women’s side, Barcelona’s Bonmatí secured her third consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin, cementing her dominance with 18 goals and 22 assists as she led Barcelona and Spain to major triumphs. Former teammate Mariona Caldentey finished runner-up after another consistent season. Rising star Vicky López made history as the first-ever Women’s Kopa Trophy winner.
Goalkeepers were celebrated with the Yashin Trophies, awarded to Gianluigi Donnarumma for his 18 clean sheets with PSG and Hannah Hampton for her 14 shutouts at Chelsea.
For scoring feats, the Gerd Müller Trophies went to Viktor Gyökeres, who struck 63 goals for club and country, and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor, who tallied 43.
Luis Enrique was named Best Men’s Coach after guiding PSG to their treble, while England’s Sarina Wiegman earned the women’s coaching honor. PSG took Men’s Club of the Year, Arsenal Women were named Women’s Club of the Year, and the Sócrates Award for humanitarian work went to the Xana Foundation.
The results reflected a season of dominance and rising stars, with Dembélé and Bonmatí standing tall at the pinnacle of world football.
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Story by Samuel Annang | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
