DEMBELE AWARDED BALLON D'OR

Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon d'Or on Monday, a reward for his starring role in the club's Champions League triumph last season, while Spain's Aitana Bonmati claimed the women's prize for the third year in a row.

Dembele, 28, edged out teen Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal to succeed Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, who took the trophy in 2024, as the winner of the most prestigious individual prize in soccer — an award that for many years had been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona forward Dembele, who was part of the France team that won the World Cup in 2018, scored 35 goals in all competitions as PSG claimed a French league and cup double, as well as winning the Champions League.

With winger Dembele moving into a center-forward role following Kylian Mbappe's departure for Real Madrid, PSG went on to hammer Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in Munich to win the European title for the first time in its history.

"I really don't have the words. It was an incredible season with PSG," an emotional Dembele said on the stage at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris.

"It's incredible to win a trophy like this," he said in French.

"To be rewarded with an individual trophy like the Ballon d'Or is truly exceptional."

He added that his boss Luis Enrique — who won the award for club coach of the year — had been "like a father" to him.

"It is an individual trophy, but it was really the collective that won it," insisted Dembele, who was one of nine members of the triumphant PSG team from last season to be nominated for the prize.

"The Ballon d'Or has not really been an objective for me in my career, but I worked hard for the team to win the Champions League."

Earlier in the evening, the 18-year-old Yamal, who was a teammate of Dembele at Barcelona when he first broke through in 2023, won the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged under 21 — the second year running he has taken that award.

"I need to keep on working to win other awards in the future," he said through a translator.

Dembele was at the ceremony to pick up his prize while his PSG teammates were losing 1-0 in a Ligue 1 game in Marseille at the same time — that match had been scheduled for Sunday, but was put back 24 hours due to bad weather in the south of France.

Three in a row

Barcelona and Spain midfielder Bonmati won the women's prize by edging out her international teammate Mariona Caldentey, with whom she played in the Spain side that was beaten on penalties by England in the Women's Euro 2025 final.

Bonmati, 27, also lost the Women's Champions League final with her club last season, at the hands of Caldentey's Arsenal.

Bonmati was named player of the tournament at the Euros, despite not starting either of Spain's first two matches as she recovered from a bout of viral meningitis.

"I am very proud," said Bonmati, who credited her teammates for their role in her personal triumph.

"Third time in a row here and I still can't believe it," Bonmati added.

"I owe Barcelona everything, this is the club of my life.

"I think I am here for the third consecutive time because of the teams I play in, so all of this is because of them."

Alessia Russo, one of the nominees from the triumphant England European Championship team and Arsenal's Champions League winning side, came third.

Bonmati's "three-peat" follows back-to-back victories for her Barcelona and Spain teammate Alexia Putellas.

Norway's Ada Hegerberg and USA star Megan Rapinoe are the only other players to have won the Women's Ballon d'Or since it was introduced in 2018.

The Ballon d'Or is voted for by a panel of journalists, one from each of the top 100 countries and regions in the FIFA world rankings for the men, and from the top 50 for the women.

Bonmati's 19-year-old teammate at Barcelona and Spain, Vicky Lopez, was named the best young women's player.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, who excelled in the PSG team that swept all aside last season before moving to Manchester City, claimed the Yashin trophy for best goalkeeper.

England's Euros winner Hannah Hampton claimed the best women's goalkeeper award, while her international manager Sarina Wiegman was named the best women's coach.

The men's and women's Gerd Muller trophies for the top scorers respectively went to Viktor Gyokeres, who joined Arsenal this summer from Portuguese club Sporting after a prolific season, and Barcelona's Ewa Pajor.

Agencies