The 28-year-old Frenchman delivered 35 goals and 14 assists in 53 appearances last season, spearheading PSG's historic treble of the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the French Cup. He was also named Ligue 1 and Champions League player of the year, and played a decisive role in PSG's run to the Club World Cup final.
Dembele, who received the award from Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, was visibly moved on stage. His mother joined him as he delivered an emotional speech.
'What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG,' Dembele said. 'I feel a bit of stress, it's not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional."
It is the first Ballon d'Or for Dembele and makes him the sixth Frenchman to win the award, following in the footsteps of Karim Benzema (2022) and Zinedine Zidane, among others.
PSG dominate Ballon d'Or night
Dembele's triumph underlined PSG's dominance at this year's awards. The club was named Team of the Year, while manager Luis Enrique received the Best Coach award after guiding the Parisians to their first Champions League title. Enrique, who was managing PSG's Ligue 1 fixture against Marseille that evening, became only the second coach after Pep Guardiola to win trebles with two different clubs.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was also honoured, winning the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper after keeping 17 clean sheets across the campaign. Donnarumma has since moved to Manchester City, but his performances in PSG's treble run proved decisive.
Bonmatí achieves historic hat-trick
On the women's side, Spain and Barcelona star Aitana Bonmatí won the Ballon d'Or Féminin for the third year in a row. The midfielder, who was hospitalised with viral meningitis just days before the Women's European Championship last summer, helped Barcelona to a domestic treble and was named the tournament's best player despite Spain's shootout loss to England in the Euro 2025 final.
'Third time in a row here, and I still can't believe it,' Bonmatí said. 'I owe Barcelona everything. This is the club of my life.'
Her win extends Barcelona's streak of women's Ballon d'Or winners to five consecutive years.
Youth and scoring honours
Eighteen-year-old Lamine Yamal, runner-up to Dembele in the Ballon d'Or voting, collected the Kopa Trophy for best player under 21. He became the first footballer to win the award twice, following another standout season for Barcelona and Spain.
In the goalscoring category, Arsenal's new striker Viktor Gyökeres claimed the Gerd Müller Trophy after netting 54 goals for Sporting CP and Sweden across 2024â€"25. On the women's side, Barcelona's Ewa Pajor received the same prize.
Humanitarian recognition
The Socrates Award went to the Xana Fundación, a charity set up by Luis Enrique's family in memory of his daughter, who died of bone cancer in 2019. The foundation supports children with life-threatening illnesses.
A French revival
Dembele's Ballon d'Or completes a remarkable turnaround for a player once plagued by injuries and inconsistency at Barcelona. Signed by PSG in 2023 for £43.5m, he was transformed mid-season by Enrique's tactical switch to a central striker role. From December onwards, he scored 30 goals in all competitions, establishing himself as one of Europe's most lethal forwards.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
