Ousmane Dembele: Golden Ball for a simple yet intense dance

Ousmane Dembele simply surpassed Lamine Yamal, who with his rock star style, won the 2025 Ballon d'Or convincingly and deservedly.

Dembele's victory

Ousmane Dembele turned the 2025 Ballon d'Or award ceremony into a festival for PSG. Champions League winner and runner-up of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, he became the best player in the world on the home stage.

A reward for French football, especially Paris – the capital of glamour, now also the capital of football.

Dembele received the award from Ronaldinho. Photo: EFE

Lamine Yamal's daring dream was shattered when he aspired to become the youngest player to win the France Football award, despite being the only one to have won the Kopa award (best player under 21) twice in a row.

“I am very proud to be here again. Thank you Barcelona, ​​thank you team. Thank you my family. I also do not forget my teammates, like Cubarsi and Raphinha ,” Lamine said when receiving the Kopa award .

Ruud Gullit jokingly asked: “Are you ready for the big trophy?” . “I don’t know,” Lamine replied. “Maybe we’ll see each other again later,” Gullit reassured. But in the end, the talented Barca man was not named.

“I really can’t believe what just happened. It was a great season with PSG. Receiving this award and having Ronaldinho present it to me is special,” Dembele said emotionally when receiving the title from Ronaldinho .

As soon as they returned to Paris, the entire PSG team – because the gala coincided with the make-up match against Marseille (the home team won 1-0) – still seemed unsure who would be the title winner.

Lamine Yamal won the Kopa award. Photo: EFE

“If he loses, this will be the first time he is really upset. Before, the winner always knew in advance because they had interviews; now he doesn’t,” said a person close to Dembele.

In the end, there was no disappointment for French football, for PSG, and even less for Dembele at the Chatelet Theatre.

A very special Golden Ball

After an erratic spell at Barcelona, ​​he found peace in a PSG that is notoriously turbulent.

At that time, on the coaching chair of Parc des Princes, Luis Enrique – just voted the best coach – gave him confidence.

“Ousmane, you are number one. Don’t ask anyone for permission anymore. You are not behind anyone. You can dream of the Ballon d’Or,” Enrique told Dembele shortly after Mbappe moved to Real Madrid. Both are 2018 world champions.

The biggest award went to Dembele, but PSG also took home a series of titles: team of the year, Donnarumma (best goalkeeper), Luis Enrique (best coach).

Enrique himself did not attend the gala because he was busy directing the match against Marseille. According to Cadena Ser, the match was just an excuse: he had already stopped believing in individual awards (unlike in 2015, when he happily accepted the award with Barcelona).

Dembele just had a brilliant season with PSG. Photo: EFE

“It’s nice to receive an individual award, but it’s more important to be recognized by the fans. I congratulate all the players there. Hello,” Enrique said from afar.

Dembele overwhelmingly defeated Lamine Yamal, burst into tears speechless

For Enrique , the real reward was last season's treble, the rise of his favourite player Dembele and other PSG members.

“Luis is very important to me, like a father,” Dembele said gratefully. A cheerful, sometimes absent-minded guy, who avoids the limelight – doesn’t show off his personal life or family – has now won the biggest prize.

The French press calls him “The People’s Ballon d’Or”. A completely different style to his rival Lamine Yamal , who wants to live like a rock star, always ready to appear both on the field and on social networks, but has not had luck in Paris.

A Paris night filled with light, where Dembele – a simple and sometimes bewildered boy – overshadowed the prodigy who was making the world talk.

PSG, the owners of money, are now also the owners of football. No one represents them more clearly than Dembele.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ousmane-dembele-qua-bong-vang-cho-dieu-vu-gian-di-ma-manh-liet-2445329.html