Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has been crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, and the celebrations have been amplified by a special tribute from Lionel Messi.
The Argentine legend, who holds a record eight Ballon d’Or titles, congratulated his former Barcelona teammate.
“Great Ous!!! Congratulations, I’m very happy for you. You deserve it,” Messi commented under Dembele’s post on social media, where the Frenchman shared his gratitude after the ceremony.
Dembele was officially crowned during Monday’s gala at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, finishing ahead of Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and PSG teammate Vitinha.
His triumph has been seen as both a personal milestone and a major boost for PSG, coming after a treble-winning campaign that placed him among the sport’s finest performers.
After receiving the award, Dembele described the honor as a lifelong ambition finally achieved.
On Instagram, he shared: “Lots of joy, pride and emotion. A dream come true. Thank you to all those who have always supported me throughout this journey. #ballondor.”
Now, at 28, he stands on the pinnacle of world football, joining the list of legends who have claimed the prize.
Barcelona’s 18-year-old prodigy, Lamine Yamal, finished second, narrowly missing out on what could have been a historic win at his young age.
Meanwhile, Vitinha, another PSG standout, capped an impressive season by finishing third.
The results underline PSG’s dominance on the global stage, with two of the top three players wearing the Paris club’s colors.
Well deserved. Yamal, we go again