PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati win Ballon d’Or awards

After securing a domestic treble and a pair of continental trophies, Ousmane Dembele will have to find room for yet another piece of distinguished hardware on his mantle. 

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar striker has won the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career on Monday in Paris, with Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and the Spanish national team taking home the Ballon d’Or Féminin after an equally impressive season for club and country.

Dembele, 28, becomes the first Frenchman to win the prestigious trophy since Karim Benzema in 2022 and the first Ligue 1 player to do so since Jean-Pierre Papin with Marseille in 1991.  

The Vernon, France, native was unstoppable in his second campaign in the French capital, netting 21 goals and eight assists in 29 Ligue 1 games, along with eight goals and six assists in 15 Champions League games en route to PSG’s first-ever European title. Overall, he finished with 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.  

Dembele started the year off hot, netting the lone goal in PSG’s 1-0 win over AS Monaco to secure the Trophée des Champions. He went on to help PSG to a 16th victory in the Coupe de France, and provided two assists in the Champions League final rout over Inter Milan.  

Though Dembele and PSG fell short of an intercontinental trophy at the Club World Cup over the summer, falling to Chelsea in the final, Dembele’s place amongst soccer’s top talents was secured after the successful statistical and trophy-laden campaign.  

He beat out Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, as well as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and PSG teammate Vitinha for the award.  

Bonmati will take home the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the third consecutive season after tallying 12 goals and six assists in 26 Liga F games and guiding Barcelona to a sixth-straight domestic title.  

Along with her success in Spain, the 27-year-old helped Barcelona to the UEFA Women’s Champions League final for the fifth straight year in hopes of earning a three-peat. However, they were stopped short in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the championship match. She provided three goals and four assists over the UWCL campaign.  

Then, with the Spanish national team, she helped guide the Iberian side to its first-ever finals appearance at the UEFA Women’s Euros. However, they lost to England in a penalty shootout. 

Fellow Spaniard and Arsenal attacker/midfielder Mariona Caldentey came in second. 

Alongside the two Ballon d’Or winners, Yamal took home the men’s Kopa Trophy for best young player, while fellow Barcelona youngster Vicky Lopez won it on the women’s side.  

Meanwhile, PSG coach Luis Enrique and England women’s coach Sarina Wiegman took home the Johan Cruyff Trophies for best coach on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively.  

The Lev Yashin Awards for best goalkeeper went to Hannah Hampton of England and Chelsea, as well as Gianluigi Donnarumma, who moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester City in early September.  

The Gerd Müller trophy for top striker was given to Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP and Arsenal on the men’s side, and Ewa Pajor of Poland and Barcelona. 

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