“Thank you all,” an emotional Dembélé said on Monday. “What just happened to me is incredible. I’m speechless. It’s been an amazing season with PSG. I’ve experienced incredible things, and I’m a little nervous; it’s not easy.
Ousmane Dembélé has beaten Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal to the Ballon d’Or after a fine season that ended with Champions League success.
Dembélé, 28, scored 35 goals in 53 appearances in all competitions for treble-winners PSG, who also won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France in addition to their first ever Champions League trophy.
He became the sixth Frenchman to win it after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema.
However, since moving to PSG in 2023 for €50m, he has established himself as one of the best players in the game under coach Luis Enrique.
Dembélé’s biggest competition came from teenager Yamal, who helped Barça to win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa.
Yamal, 18, also produced some of his best moments and goals in the biggest games, including the Champions League semifinal defeat to Inter Milanand the Clásico against Real Madrid.
Earlier in Paris, Yamal also won the Kopa Trophy for best under-21 player over the previous season, while Vicky López of Barcelona won the women’s best under-21 player.
“I need to keep on working to win other awards in the future,” Yamal said.
PSG manager Luis Enrique and England women’s team manager, Sarina Wiegman, received the Johan Cruyff trophies, awarded to the best coaches of the year.
