Ballon d’Or 2025 Winner: Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí

Paris has seen its share of historic football moments, but the Ballon d’Or ceremony on 22 September 2025 delivered a rare double: a first-time winner and a three-peat in the same room. Ousmane Dembélé, fresh off leading Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League title and a domestic treble, claimed the men’s award for the first time, while Aitana Bonmatí made history by securing her third consecutive women’s Ballon d’Or.

Men’s Winner: Ousmane Dembélé (France / PSG) ·
Women’s Winner: Aitana Bonmati (Spain / Barcelona) ·
Ceremony Date: 22 September 2025 ·
Location: Paris, France ·
Men’s Runner-Up: Lamine Yamal ·
Women’s Runner-Up: Caroline Graham Hansen

The 69th Ballon d’Or honored achievements from the 2024-25 football season, with the ceremony beginning at 21:00 CET at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris (UEFA). The event was broadcast in the United States by CBS (ESPN).

Seven facts about the winners and the ceremony:

The pattern is clear: the 2025 ceremony marked both a breakthrough — Dembélé’s first win — and the continuation of Bonmatí’s dynasty, a dual narrative rare in Ballon d’Or history.

Who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or?

The 2025 Ballon d’Or winners are Ousmane Dembélé for the men’s award and Aitana Bonmatí for the women’s award, as announced at the ceremony on 22 September 2025 in Paris (UEFA).

Men’s winner: Ousmane Dembélé

• Club: Paris Saint-Germain (Sky Sports)
• Nationality: French
• First Ballon d’Or: Yes (CNN)
• Key achievement: Led PSG to a treble-winning season and first Champions League title (Sky Sports)
• Presented by: Ronaldinho (BBC)

Dembélé’s award was his first Ballon d’Or, earned after a season in which he powered Paris Saint-Germain to a domestic treble and the club’s inaugural UEFA Champions League title (Sky Sports). Local supporters celebrated his victory with chants in the theatre balconies (CNN).

Women’s winner: Aitana Bonmati

• Club: Barcelona (UEFA)
• Nationality: Spanish
• Consecutive wins: Third in a row (BBC)
• Key achievement: First woman to win three consecutive Ballon d’Or awards (CBS Sports)
• Key achievement: UEFA Women’s Champions League winner in 2024-25 (UEFA)

Bonmatí’s 2025 victory was her third consecutive women’s Ballon d’Or, making her the first player — male or female — to win the women’s award three times in a row (UEFA). The implication: on the men’s side, only Lionel Messi and Michel Platini have achieved three consecutive wins (Sky Sports).

What are the top 5 and full list of 2025 Ballon d’Or winners?

The official top 5 finishers for both the men’s and women’s awards were announced at the ceremony. Below are the confirmed rankings based on reported results.

Men’s top 5 (according to official results)

• 1. Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain) — winner (UEFA)
• 2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) — runner-up (Sky Sports)
• 3-5. Full breakdown not yet publicly released by France Football as of the ceremony date

Women’s top 5 (according to official results)

• 1. Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona) — winner (UEFA)
• 2. Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona) — runner-up (Sky Sports)
• 3-5. Full breakdown not yet publicly released as of the ceremony date

Complete ranking of nominees

The full list of 30 men’s nominees and 20 women’s nominees was published by UEFA in August 2025, with the final order determined by journalist votes. For the complete ranking, refer to the official UEFA nominee archive.

How is the Ballon d’Or winner selected?

Voting conducted by top football journalists from around the world determines the winner (UEFA).

Voting process by journalists

• Voting conducted by top football journalists from around the world (UEFA)
• Each voter selects their top 5 players in order of preference (UEFA)
• Points system: 6 points for first, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, 1 for fifth (UEFA)
• The player with the highest total points wins (UEFA)

Weight of votes and criteria

• Criteria: Individual performances, team success, player talent, and sportsmanship over the season (UEFA)
• Weight: Each journalist’s vote carries equal weight regardless of the journalist’s country or publication size (UEFA)
• Transparency: Individual ballots are published after the ceremony, allowing public scrutiny (UEFA)

The implication: the system rewards consensus among a global panel of experts. Dembélé’s victory reflects not just domestic success but European silverware, which historically carries heavy weight in the voting.

Who won the Ballon d’Or in 2024?

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winners set the stage for 2025, with one winner retaining and the other being succeeded.

2024 men’s winner

• Winner: Rodri (Manchester City / Spain) — won the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or (UEFA)
• Key achievement: Premier League and Euro 2024 winner with Spain
• 2025 outcome: Did not retain — Dembélé succeeded him (Sky Sports)

2024 women’s winner

• Winner: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain) — won the 2024 women’s Ballon d’Or (UEFA)
• 2025 outcome: Retained — third consecutive win (BBC)

The pattern: the men’s award has had a different winner for three consecutive years (Messi 2023, Rodri 2024, Dembélé 2025), reflecting the competitive depth at the top of the men’s game. The women’s award, by contrast, has been dominated by Bonmatí since 2023.

What to expect for the 2026 Ballon d’Or?

The 2026 Ballon d’Or has not been formally announced, but the typical cycle provides a framework for expectations.

Speculation and early contenders

• No official information has been released about the 2026 ceremony (UEFA)
• Potential men’s candidates based on current form: Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham (Sky Sports)
• Potential women’s candidates: Aitana Bonmatí (going for a fourth consecutive win), Caroline Graham Hansen, Salma Paralluelo (BBC)

No official information yet

• The 2026 award has not been announced — no date, venue, or nominee list exists (UEFA)
• Historical pattern suggests the ceremony will take place in October 2026 in Paris (UEFA)
• The 2025-26 season performances will determine the nominees (ESPN)

The catch: the 2026 race is wide open on the men’s side, while Bonmatí has a chance to do something no footballer — male or female — has ever done: win four consecutive Ballon d’Or awards.

Timeline

• 22 September 2025: 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony held in Paris; winners announced (UEFA)
• August 2025: Official list of nominees released (UEFA)

“Aitana Bonmati and Ousmane Dembele win 2025 Ballon d’Or awards” — UEFA

“Ballon d’Or 2025: Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati win top prizes as Sarina Wiegman lands award for best coach” — Sky Sports

“Dembélé’s award was his first Ballon d’Or, earned after a season in which he powered Paris Saint-Germain to a domestic treble.” — CNN

The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony delivered both a breakthrough and a dynasty. For Ousmane Dembélé, the award validates a career-defining season that saw Paris Saint-Germain climb to the summit of European football. For Aitana Bonmatí, the three-peat places her in a category of one — no woman has ever done this, and only two men have matched the feat. For fans of the sport, the message is clear: the balance of power in European football is shifting, and the era of Bonmatí is rewriting what’s possible.

The full winners and rankings offers a complete breakdown of the voting and final standings.

Frequently asked questions