The 2025 Ballon d'Or goes to 28-year-old Dembélé; Paris claims five spots in the top ten, with the midfield maestro ranked 11th.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony was held in the early hours of September 23rd Beijing time, featuring Paris's 28-year-old French forwardDembéléwho successfully won the 2025 Ballon d'Or, marking his first-ever victory and his official entry into the elite superstar category!

Dembélé is undoubtedly deserving; in the last season (2024-25), he appeared 53 times for Paris across all competitions, scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists, helping the team securethe treble (Champions League + Ligue 1 + French Cup)as well as the French Super Cup; finishing as runners-up in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Dembélé's individual accolades include winning last season'sLigue 1 Golden Boot, Ligue 1 Player of the Year, and Champions League Best Player!

At the national team level for France: 7 appearances with 2 goals; 2025 is a year featuring continental tournaments outside of Africa.

The top ten list for the 2025 Ballon d'Or is dominated by Champions League winners Paris with five players:First is Dembélé, second Yamal, third Vitinha, fourth Salah, fifth Raphinha, sixth Achraf, seventh Mbappé, eighth Palmer, ninth Donnarumma, and tenth Nuno Mendes.

With De Bruyne and Modrić aging and moving to Serie A for their twilight years, the leading midfielder in football today is 22-year-old Pedri, ranked eleventh in the 2025 Ballon d'Or — a current midfield maestro and a future contender for the award.

Finally, congratulations to Dembélé on winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or, a truly well-deserved honor. From a once unpredictable "game boy" and injury-prone player to now a Ballon d'Or winner, Dembélé’s transformation after settling down with his wife is a classic success story. He now stands at the pinnacle of football, a key player lifting the Champions League trophy and personally earning the Ballon d'Or.