Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to win the men’s Ballon d’Or at Monday’s ceremony in Paris, following a record-breaking season that powered his club to unprecedented success.
The 28-year-old Frenchman played a central role in PSG’s historic treble triumph Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in 2024/25. He scored 33 goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions, finishing behind only Kylian Mbappé and Robert Lewandowski in non-penalty goals across Europe’s top five leagues.
Dembélé’s form exploded in 2025. Between January and the Champions League final, he registered 25 goals and eight assists in just 29 games, including back-to-back hat-tricks and decisive strikes against Liverpool and Arsenal. In the Champions League, he notched 14 goal involvements the most ever by a player representing a French team and created the joint-most chances (38).
Though his scoring slowed at the end of the season, Dembélé remained pivotal, providing two assists in the 50 final win over Inter Milan, becoming the first player since Marcelo in 2018 to register two assists in a Champions League final.
His Ligue 1 campaign was equally dominant, as he topped the league for goal involvements (27) and non-penalty goals (20). His tally of 46 goal contributions in all competitions more than doubled his previous career best.
Despite spending much of the season in an unfamiliar striker role, Dembélé ranked in the 100th percentile for chance creation and progressive carries among top-five league forwards. Per 90 minutes, he led all forwards in non-penalty goals (1.07) and shots (5.3).
Dembélé faces competition from Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who had the most goal involvements in Europe (57), Barcelona’s Raphinha (56), and Real Madrid’s Mbappé, who scored a continental-high 43 goals. Yet, even Mbappé has endorsed his France teammate, stating: “If it were up to me, I’d deliver it to his house.”
If crowned, Dembélé’s victory would cap a remarkable career resurgence, marking his first Ballon d’Or and cementing his role as PSG’s talisman in their greatest season to date.
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in Paris on Monday night.
