Mansion Sports – The year 2025 marks a historic milestone for Ousmane Dembele. The Paris Saint-Germain winger has officially been crowned the winner of the Ballon d’Or, an achievement that might have seemed improbable a few years ago given the rollercoaster journey of his career.

The 2024/2025 season proved beyond doubt that Dembele is worthy of being recognized as the best player in the world.

PSG’s Undisputed Rise to the Top of Europe

Paris Saint-Germain finally captured their first-ever UEFA Champions League title, a monumental achievement for a club founded only in 1970.

This triumph also symbolized the culmination of Qatar Sports Investment’s ambitious project, launched in 2011 with the clear goal of conquering Europe.

Under Luis Enrique’s guidance, PSG dazzled with a possession-based style of football that was both fluid and entertaining.

At the heart of this success stood Dembele, the team’s most influential figure, driving the club toward its historic triumph.

With the Ballon d’Or’s new evaluation format now focusing on single-season performances, Dembele’s victory seemed inevitable. For him, lifting the award in his homeland of France made the honor even more special.

From Raw Talent to Global Superstar

Dembele’s career has been anything but smooth. He became one of the most expensive players in football history just two years after making his professional debut.

Following impressive spells at Rennes and Borussia Dortmund, his 2017 move to Barcelona for €135 million proved premature.

His flair-driven but still unrefined playing style did not align with Barcelona’s immediate demands in the post-Neymar era.

The enormous transfer fee, coupled with lapses in discipline off the pitch, led to inconsistent performances. Dembele himself later admitted he had “wasted time” during his years at Camp Nou.

His resurgence began in earnest after signing a new contract in 2022, which paved the way for his move to PSG the following year.

Unlike at Barcelona, Dembele arrived in Paris carrying less individual burden, as PSG were now building a collective identity rather than centering their project around a single superstar.

A New Era for PSG Without Mbappé

Initially, Dembele played in a supporting role to Kylian Mbappé. Although his contribution was not spectacular, he helped PSG secure a domestic double and reach the Champions League semifinals.

However, Mbappé’s departure in 2024 gave Luis Enrique the freedom to reshape the squad according to his vision.

Dembele evolved significantly. Transitioning from a pure winger into a central forward, his positional transformation proved decisive: between December and March, he scored 16 of his 21 league goals that season. This prolific run propelled PSG to dominate domestically and shift their focus toward European glory.

Beyond the statistics, Dembele showcased a transformation in mentality. He played with greater confidence, discipline, and intensity, even becoming a cornerstone of PSG’s pressing game.

Thibaut Courtois himself admitted his surprise at Dembele’s defensive work rate, a clear indication of how much he had matured compared to earlier years.

The Season’s Pinnacle: Champions League and Ballon d’Or

Dembele emerged as PSG’s talisman in the Champions League. In nearly every knockout-round match, he contributed with either a goal or an assist, except in the first leg against Liverpool. His consistency became synonymous with PSG’s run to their maiden European crown.

The ultimate highlight came in the Champions League final, where PSG crushed Inter Milan 5-0. Although Dembele did not score, his relentless pressing and defensive contributions drew praise from Luis Enrique, who cited them as evidence that Dembele fully deserved the Ballon d’Or.

Backing From Teammates, Coaches, and Legends

Dembele’s triumph has been met with widespread support. Mbappé, now at Real Madrid, openly admitted that he voted for his close friend to win the award.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi declared that if Dembele had not been awarded, it would have undermined the credibility of the accolade. Luis Enrique went further, describing Dembele as a role model for leadership within the squad. 

Support also came from figures such as Didier Deschamps, Ibrahima Konaté, and Paul Pogba, all of whom agreed he was more deserving than Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. 

Gareth Bale, too, acknowledged that PSG’s transformation was largely influenced by Dembele’s role.

Lamine Yamal: A Star of the Future, Not the Present

At just 18, Lamine Yamal has been sensational and is widely regarded as the heir to football’s future. Yet last season was not his moment.

Barcelona’s statistics showed that Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres all outscored him in terms of goals.

Had Barcelona eliminated Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinals, the Ballon d’Or narrative might have shifted.

But the reality was that PSG dominated Europe, and Dembele stood at the forefront of that dominance.

A Dream Realized

For Dembele, winning the Ballon d’Or represents the fulfillment of a childhood dream. He recalled watching the ceremony on television as a young boy and imagining the day his name would be inscribed among the winners.

“Winning the Ballon d’Or is the pinnacle of every footballer’s dream. I went through difficult times with injuries and inconsistent performances, but this year I felt truly exceptional. Just being among the favorites was already a victory, but actually winning it is indescribable,” Dembele told France Football.

From a young player at Barcelona who was derailed by poor discipline to standing tall as the world’s best footballer, Dembele’s journey is one of remarkable redemption.

The 2024/2025 season will forever be remembered as his defining campaign, with the 2025 Ballon d’Or serving as definitive proof that hard work and transformation can completely reshape a career.