French player Ousmane Dembélé wins men's Ballon d'Or

France’s Ousmane Dembélé, considered one of the world's top footballers, has won the prestigious men’s Ballon d’Or.

At a glitzy ceremony in Paris on Monday night, he was crowned the player deemed to have performed best over the past season.

The 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward broke down in tears as he thanked his family for their sacrifices in helping him win.

Dembélé's journey to the top football prize has seen many lows as he battled against injury, inconsistency, and concerns about his attitude to the game.

But his incredible 2024 to 2025 season helped his club win a Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Champions League treble, before also reaching the final of the Club World Cup.

The PSG star now joins an elite club of French footballing icons to have won the award, including Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema.

Created in 1956 by France Football magazine, journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings vote for the Ballon d’Or winner.