Less than two weeks before the Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony, scheduled for September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Ousmane Dembélé emerges as the leading favorite to lift the prestigious trophy.
The Frenchman, who played a key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s historic Champions League victory last season, benefits from two major indicators that strengthen his chances of being crowned.
The first indicator is Dembélé’s irreplaceable impact on PSG’s triumphant campaign. His decisive contributions in major European matches have been widely praised, and he is part of a strong contingent of nine Parisian players nominated this year. This solid collective highlights the club’s dominance, further elevating Dembélé’s individual performance.
The second indicator comes from the competition—or rather the absence of certain big names. Lamine Yamal, the young prodigy from FC Barcelona, is among the favorites, but Dembélé’s experience and track record, combined with recent collective success, give him a notable advantage according to bookmakers and experts. Moreover, the absence of the defending champion Rodri, sidelined by injury for much of the season, opens the path further for a new French nominee.
Finally, the event highlights a renewed and gender-balanced ceremony, with a unique duo of presenters, Ruud Gullit and Kate Scott, and a variety of trophies ranging from the best male and female players to awards for young talents and goalkeepers. Should Dembélé win the Ballon d’Or, he would become the sixth Frenchman to claim this title, joining legends Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema. Anticipation is therefore at its peak behind the scenes of world football for this historic 69th edition.