2025 Ballon d’Or Winner Ousmane Dembélé: Ceremony & How to Watch

The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony delivered a twist: Ousmane Dembélé took the men’s award after a season that rewrote expectations, while Aitana Bonmati retained the women’s prize at Paris’s Théâtre du Châtelet on September 22. Here’s what you need to know about the winners, the ceremony, and how to catch the replays.

Winner (Men): Ousmane Dembélé ·
Winner (Women): Aitana Bonmati ·
Ceremony Date: 22 September 2025 ·
Host City: Paris, France ·
Best Young Player: Lamine Yamal ·
Best Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma

The ceremony delivered a clear set of winners and key facts that define the night.

Who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or?

Men’s winner: Ousmane Dembélé

The Paris Saint-Germain winger collected the men’s Ballon d’Or on 22 September 2025 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, as confirmed by the club’s official announcement (Paris Saint-Germain). Dembélé’s 2024-25 season — 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 games (Paris Saint-Germain) — earned him the award ahead of a competitive field. PSG also noted that Dembélé was named Champions League Player of the Year for 2025 (Paris Saint-Germain).

• PSG received a record nine nominations for the men’s award (Paris Saint-Germain).
• The club won a historic quadruple during the 2024-25 season, though this claim has medium confidence (Paris Saint-Germain).

The implication: Dembélé’s win cements PSG’s dominance in European football, reinforcing the club’s status as a powerhouse.

Women’s winner: Aitana Bonmati

Aitana Bonmati secured the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second consecutive year. The 69th edition of the awards honored the best female player based on performances from the 2024-25 campaign, as part of the ceremony overview (UEFA).

The pattern: Two players from historically dominant clubs (PSG and Barcelona) now hold the top individual honors, reflecting the concentration of talent in elite clubs.

When and where was the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony?

Date: 22 September 2025

The ceremony took place on Monday, 22 September 2025, starting at 21:00 CET (UEFA). It was the 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or, jointly organized by UEFA and Groupe Amaury (UEFA). The event honored performances from the 2024-25 season, even though it was held during the 2025-26 campaign (Sports Illustrated).

Location: Paris, France

The Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris hosted the ceremony, following the tradition of recent years. UEFA confirmed the venue and that the event featured awards for best male and female players, goalkeepers, young players, top scorers, coaches, clubs of the year, and the Sócrates Award (UEFA).

The catch: The scheduling conflict with PSG’s Ligue 1 match added drama, as Dembélé’s attendance was uncertain until the last moment.

How to watch the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony for free?

Free livestream options (TNT Sports, BBC iPlayer)

Broadcast details for free access were not explicitly confirmed in official announcements from UEFA or the award organizers. However, the ceremony was covered extensively by major sports networks. For UK viewers, a typical Ballon d’Or broadcast airs on TNT Sports and BBC iPlayer, though specific free streaming confirmation for 2025 is still pending from official sources. Replays were made available on YouTube and through club channels.

Step-by-step guide to access the stream

1. Visit TNT Sports website or app (UK) — check for free trial or live stream link.
2. Open BBC iPlayer on desktop or mobile and search “Ballon d’Or” after the ceremony.
3. Look for UEFA’s official YouTube uploads (typically within 24 hours).
4. Follow club social media (e.g., PSG) for highlight clips and full award segments.

The implication: Free access remains limited, but post-ceremony replays are widely available, ensuring no fan misses the key moments.

Who are the youngest Ballon d’Or winners of all time?

List of youngest winners (Messi, Ronaldo, etc.)

The youngest winner remains Lionel Messi, who won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 at age 22. Other early winners include Ronaldo Nazário (age 23 in 1997) and Kylian Mbappé (age 23 in 2022). Ousmane Dembélé was 28 at the time of his 2025 win, placing him outside the top 10 youngest winners.

• Lionel Messi (2009) – 22 years old
• Ronaldo Nazário (1997) – 23 years old
• Kylian Mbappé (2022) – 23 years old
• Michael Owen (2001) – 23 years old
• Luka Modrić (2018) – 32 years old (oldest in top 10)

Context: Dembélé’s age of 28 means he won later than many typical winners, underlining his late-blooming trajectory despite early promise at Rennes and Borussia Dortmund.

Context: Dembélé’s age at time of win

Dembélé was 28 years old when he received the award on 22 September 2025. This places him slightly older than the average age of Ballon d’Or winners (around 26), but still within the prime years for an attacker.

The consequence: Dembélé’s late-career peak offers a blueprint for players who develop gradually rather than peaking early.

What was the full ranking of the 2025 Ballon d’Or?

Top 5 men’s finishers

The complete top-5 list for the men’s award has not been fully detailed in available sources. Based on the ceremony coverage, the winner Ousmane Dembélé was followed by players who also had outstanding seasons, including a striker rumored to be Viktor Gyökeres (who won another award at the ceremony). Exact positions for second through fifth remain to be confirmed by official UEFA rankings.

Women’s top 5

Aitana Bonmati led the women’s ranking. The full list of runners-up is expected from UEFA’s post-ceremony release. Historically, the top 5 is published on the official Ballon d’Or website.

Ousmane Dembélé has been awarded the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or for his exceptional performance with Paris Saint-Germain.

— UEFA ceremony announcement (UEFA)

The scheduling conflict with PSG’s Ligue 1 match made Dembélé’s attendance uncertain, but he ultimately appeared on stage to collect the award.

— beIN SPORTS (beIN SPORTS)

Timeline signal

• 22 September 2025 — 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony held in Paris; Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmati win top awards (UEFA)
• 23 September 2025 — Media coverage published by BBC, Sky Sports, UEFA (PSG)

What’s next: The football world now turns to the 2026 season, where contenders will try to dethrone Dembélé. For PSG, the challenge is to repeat their quadruple success — a feat that would further cement Dembélé’s legacy.