Africa voted for Dembele over Yamal

He may not have the traits, behavior, and character of a great champion, but last season there was no better player than Ousmane Dembele, who tonight in Paris, the city of Europe’s champions, was awarded the Ballon d’Or by France Football — the trophy given to the best player on the planet for the period between August 1, 2024, and July 13, 2025. Before the ceremony, Dembele was the clear favorite to win, with his most serious rival being Spanish jewel Lamine Yamal, who was widely expected to win football’s most prestigious prize multiple times in the future. The young Barcelona star officially finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting, while excellent Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha took third place. Mohamed Salah was fourth, and Raphinha fifth.

He is the best: Dembele wins Ballon d'Or

Given everything that happened last season, it was to be expected that Paris Saint-Germain would produce the best player in the world. After all, the Parisians were the most represented club tonight in Paris, with nine nominees (including Donnarumma). Comparing them all, it’s clear that none deserved to be the winner more than Dembele. The French international officially become the sixth French footballer to win the Ballon d’Or, after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema.

Last year, Rodri edged Vinicius Junior by the slimmest of margins - 1,170 points to 1,129 - a razor-thin gap which never happened this year, according to the France Football's editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia:

“If I had to give you an idea, it wasn't a competition, honestly. Ousmane Dembele won by a wide margin on every continent, whether in Africa, Europe, South America, or North America" he revealed to L’Equipe TV.

As the team’s top scorer, the Frenchman played a decisive role in Luis Enrique’s pursuit of the most important club football trophy. He scored the only goal at Anfield against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 second leg, provided two assists across the quarterfinal tie with Aston Villa, scored and assisted against Arsenal in the semifinals, and added two more assists in the final against Inter. Although he missed the group stage of the Club World Cup due to injury, he returned for the knockout rounds, where he sealed the win against Bayern with a goal in the quarterfinals, and in the semifinal against Real Madrid contributed with both a goal and an assist. In the end, Dembele finished the season with 35 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, making him the best French footballer in his best season ever — and the only serious French contender for the award presented by France Football.