Dembele was crowned the winner of the Ballon d’Or of 2024/25 after a triple historian with Paris Saint-Germain claiming Ligue 1, the coupe de France and the Champions League Together to end up as a top scorer of Ligue 1. The prize is an appropriate reward for the French striker, who has eliminated Lamine Yamal in the final vote.
During a phenomenal season in which Dembele scored 35 goals and recorded 16 assists for the PSG, he recorded the cut of the 15th highest goal among the winners of the Ballon d’Or in the 21st century. Even if this may not seem amazing compared to Lionel Messi’s “crazy” number and Cristiano Ronaldo, excluding these two legends, Dembele is in third place among the remaining winners.
Having suffered a career full of injuries and setbacks, the Dembele breakout in 2024/25 was brighter than any other player. Surprisingly, he won the Ballon d’Or in his first nomination, a company for the last time in 2006 by the Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro.
Dembele’s victory also raised France to the nation with the most individual winners of the ball of history. The previous French winners include Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini (three times), Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema and now Dembele. Before this, France was linked to Germany and Italy in five winners each. The five of Germany include Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Lothar Mathäus and Matthias Sammer, while the Italian list presents Omar Sivori, Gianni Rivera, Paolo Rossi, Roberto Baggio and Fabio Cannavaro.
With the triumph of Dembele, France is now the same as Argentina in total Ballon d’Or wins with eight. However, the Argentine count belongs to Lionel Messi. Dembele also becomes the first player outside Messi (2009, 2015) to win the Ballon d’Or after a season of the acute at the club level.
Dembele now joins an elite group of only 10 players who have won both the Ballon d’Or and the Champions League while also keeping a World Cup title. This illustrious list includes Messi, Beckenbauer, Rossi, Bobby Charlton, Rivaldo, Zidane, Ronaldinho and Kaka.
Sources: 24h
