Ousmane Dembélé has just won the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or after a big season. Many said he pulled it off. I believe he deserved it. But it’s fair to ask: was it obvious? Were there others who had a strong case? Let me walk you through my reasons and why some lost out.
Last season, Dembélé was central to PSG’s greatness. PSG won the Champions League for the first time. They also won Ligue 1 and the French Cup. His numbers back that up. He finished with around 35 goals and 15 assists in 53 games. In the Champions League, he had 14 goal involvements. He created more chances than almost anyone else. He led in non-penalty goals per 90 among forwards in the top five leagues.
Those are strong proofs of merit. PSG needed him. He delivered in the finals. He had leadership. He pressed. He defended when asked. Luis Enrique said he saw “all-round work ethic … how he led the team … how he defended … that can be worth the Ballon d’Or.”
Now let’s talk about Lamine Yamal. He is a beauty. Very young. Huge talent. He won the Kopa Trophy for best under-21 player. He had amazing stats, too. But does youth alone beat trophies + performance, + leadership? Not yet. Yamal is not yet at the stage where people expect him to carry PSG or similar clubs in all competitions. His time will come. This edition, I think the voters made the right call putting him in second.
Raphinha also deserves huge credit. He had a magnificent season. For Barcelona, he scored 34 goals and made 25 assists in all competitions. He won La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa. He had big moments in the Champions League, too. Raphinha was among the top chance creators and contributed in tight games.
However, here’s where “PR, narrative, and maybe rumours” come in. I heard talk that if Raphinha had won the Ballon d’Or, Barça might have owed Leeds United about €30 million because of some clause. I did not verify it fully. It is rumoured. Some fans think that affected how much media and voting momentum he got. Maybe Barça shifted attention to Yamal in part because of that. It might be true, might not be. But in many award races, narrative and off-field perception matter. Raphinha may have been at a slight disadvantage there, not for his football, but for everything around it.
Given all of this, here is my verdict: yes, Dembélé deserves the 2025 Ballon d’Or. He had excellent performance numbers, showed up in the biggest matches, and helped lead his team to major trophies. He did more than “good season”. Dembele was one of the very few who combined silverware, stats, and leadership.
That said, it was a close race. Yamal might win many future Ballon d’Ors. Raphinha might have won this one with just a bit more narrative or support. But in this season, I think Dembélé did enough to win.
What do you think? Was it the right outcome? Did PR cost Raphinha? Is youth undervalued when so much rides on big titles? Was Dembélé better than all his peers?
