Paris St-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has won his first Ballon d’Or after a stunning season in which he fired the French giants to a historic treble.
The 28-year-old France international scored 35 goals and registered 14 assists in 53 appearances as PSG lifted the Champions League, Ligue 1 title, and French Cup.
Ousmane Dembele was joint top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals and also named player of the year in both the French top flight and the Champions League.
The transformation of Dembele came after manager Luis Enrique shifted him to a central striking role last year in December, sparking a remarkable run of 30 goals.
His prolific form capped a career revival after several injury-hit years at Barcelona.
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He was presented the award in Paris, breaking down in tears as he thanked his family, PSG teammates, and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, whom he described as “like a father.”
It is worth noting that Dembele becomes the sixth Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or, and only the second in the 21st century after Karim Benzema in 2022.
The Frenchman edged Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, who finished runner-up but collected the Kopa Trophy for best young player.
PSG dominated the awards, winning team of the year, while five of their players placed in the top 10, including Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Nuno Mendes.
It marks a career-best chapter for Dembele, whose £43.5m move to PSG in 2023 has proven a bargain compared to his record Barcelona transfer fee.
