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3 Reasons Why Ousmane Dembélé Deserves the Ballon d'Or 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Farah Ben Gamra | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Tonight in Paris the football world is watching. The 2025 Ballon d’Or is upon us and after a season of triumphs, stats and expert endorsements all eyes are on Ousmane Dembélé.

Many thought this season would pass him by but Ousmane Dembélé has written one of the most impressive chapters of his career.

Under Luis Enrique at PSG, Dembélé has evolved from a mercurial winger to a match-winner. Simply put, he has delivered in moments that mattered. Here are three reasons why he deserves to feature prominently for Ballon d’Or consideration — trophies, numbers and endorsements from the right people.

1) He won the trophies that matter — and he decided big games

Securing the Ballon d’Or isn’t solely based on individual statistics. Voters look at trophies and who stepped up when it mattered. Dembélé was vital to PSG’s success: Paris won the Champions League in 2024–25 in the final round, 5–0, plus the domestic trophy.

That Champions League win is ultimately the best team success on his CV this year, and the most compelling argument to win the Ballon d’Or.

Dembélé was also in the thick of it in knockout moments. Match-winning goals, a Champions League equaliser in a knockout tie, and direct goal contributions in the run to the final, the Frenchman delivered when it counted.

2) His numbers and individual honours put him among the year’s elite

Across competitions Dembélé scored elite numbers for a wide forward. Transfermarkt’s season summary has him at 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 games for 2024–25, numbers a striker/winger can match many past Ballon d’Or winners. That includes Champions League and Ligue 1 goals.

Individual awards followed the performances. He was voted UEFA Champions League Player of the Season and won Ligue 1’s individual prize (UNFP Player of the Year) and was Ligue 1 top scorer (shared) — the kind of awards voters give out.

Those awards prove that both domestic and continental governing bodies believed he had an exceptional year. Specific instances of great moments are: two hat-tricks in successive games in late January/early February, a Champions League treble at Stuttgart and a domestic treble at Brest, showed he is a player capable of entirely changing the game by himself.

3) This was a clear role change: consistent, decisive and praised by experts

What differentiates great seasons from good ones is consistency and tactical efficacy. Rather than his previous positioning as a winger in prior seasons, Dembélé was an intentional, cohesive attacking player.

Under Luis Enrique, Dembélé became an attacking hub (scoring and creating chances, especially in key moments). That tactical adaptation is the reason why Dembélé’s production became stable rather than inconsistent.

He has the backing of the public as well. PSG figures national commentators have been saying he deserves upper-level recognition for his season, and PSG’s sporting director, coaching staff, and bookmakers have all indicated that he deserves to be in the Ballon d’Or conversation.

Luis Enrique summed it up saying, “I sincerely believe he deserves the Ballon d’Or, without a doubt, not just for the titles he won or the goals he scored, but for his pressing. He’s done it all season, but exceptionally in this final.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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