The winner of our Men's Player of the Year award is Ousmane Dembele, who fired Paris Saint-Germain to their maiden Champions League title in 2025.
As the leader by example of a PSG that finally conquered Europe, Dembele has transformed his game under head coach Luis Enrique. Scorer, provider, relentless presser, he has harnessed all his potential to become a complete player in the last year. Rightfully so, he wins this award, to go with his Ballon d'Or.
'And Ousmane Ballon d'Or, and Ousmane Ballon d'Or!': From the Champions League final in Munich to the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, the chant grew louder over the months, until Dembele finally received the prestigious individual trophy, capping off an incredible 2024/25 season that was far from straightforward.
Rewind to November 2024 against Bayern, PSG collapsed as a team and lost by a much wider margin than the 1-0 scoreline suggested. Dembele was sent off, and Luis Enrique didn’t hesitate to punish him by benching him against Nantes and Auxerre.
If his coach played the disciplinarian, it’s because he saw Dembele as the cornerstone of the team he wanted to build.
The end of PSG's Kylian Mbappe era began during the Classique at the Velodrome on March 31st, 2024. In pouring rain, the future Real Madrid star faded while Dembele shone in a false nine role he was just discovering. The foundations for his transformation were being laid.
The striker’s lack of composure in front of goal is almost legendary. Able to unbalance any defender, Dembele would often falter at the finish line. Yet, back at Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez would tell anyone who would listen: Dembele had what it took to become the best in the world.
Many laughed at the prediction. But the Catalan was right. Dembele became number one under one of football’s toughest minds: Luis Enrique.
The now-viral documentary scene - "no tienes ni p*** idea" (you don't have an f-ing clue) - where the Spanish coach tells Mbappe what it takes to be a leader, took on new meaning when Dembele was crowned. Because he also gave that same speech to the former Blaugrana man, who followed his coach’s instructions to the letter.
From talented winger to PSG's goal machine
The result: a Champions League and a Ballon d’Or. Meanwhile, Mbappe is still chasing both. It’s impossible not to compare their trajectories.
This transformation was as unexpected as it was unlikely. Dembele, a goal scorer? Absolutely. It was as if everything clicked during the second half of the season, when destinies are decided.
Perennial underachievers in Europe since the Qatari takeover, PSG finally lifted the Champions League. And not just in any fashion: they dispatched three Premier League clubs before dismantling Inter 5-0 in the final, who had just eliminated Barca. Decisive and emphatic.
And beyond his attacking skills, Dembele stood out for his defensive commitment. First to lead the press, first to put the team’s needs above his own. Being a leader goes beyond statistics - it’s about attitude.
But has his status in the French national team really changed? Not really. On posters and in promotional clips for Les Bleus, he’s still off to the side, leaving centre stage to Mbappe, the uncrowned king. It’s not even clear if Didier Deschamps now gives him more consideration.
Dembele's triumph hasn’t changed his reserved personality. His genuine tears when receiving the Ballon d’Or proved nothing was staged or calculated.
His start to the 2025/26 season was disrupted by injuries, which is hardly surprising given the whirlwind he’s been through with a club still not at its peak - but still in better shape than a year ago.
But whatever happens next, while everyone expected Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba or Mbappe to rise to the top of the game, it was Dembele of the 2018 French World Cup winners, who has written his name into the annals of football forever thanks to an epic calendar year on the pitch.