Ousmane Dembélé wins the Ballon d'Or ahead of Lamine Yamal; Aitana Bonmatí, the world's best player for the third year in a row, is a historic success.

As Luis Enrique sang in his last press conference: " Ousmane Ballon D'Or, and Ousmane Ballon D'or ", to the rhythm of Pump it up , the song by Endor. There, at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, Ousmane Dembélé turned words into action, touched the unexpected after a career transformed into a roller coaster and caressed the golden ball that places him as the best footballer in the world ahead of the teenager Lamine Yamal , about to break all records for precocity, and his teammate at PSG Vitinha , the brainchild of the Asturian coach's project. The French team had the majority in the top ten, with Hakimi, Donnarumma and Mendes inside the top 10 with Salah, Raphinha, Mbappé and Palmer .

At her side, Aitana Bonmatí , a legendary footballer who lifted her third consecutive Ballon d'Or , something only Platini and Messi have done, the fifth in a row for Spanish women's football after Alexia Putellas 's two. An award in which she surpassed her compatriot Mariona Caldentey , winner of the Champions League with Arsenal, and which confirms Spain's absolute dominance, with four players among the top six, including Putellas (fourth) and Guijarro (sixth).

If there's anyone to blame for Dembélé's success beyond himself, it's Luis Enrique . The Asturian coach has turned an inconsistent, injury-prone, and disconnected player into the spearhead of his intense project. A style of high pressing, verticality, and rage that has the former Stade de Rennes, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona player as its leader.

"Ousmane is a leader. But he leads by example, not by words. Have you seen how he's pressed? Name a number 9 in Europe who puts pressure on the goalkeeper and the center-back like that. When you press like that, being a leader, the rest just have to follow," the Asturian praised him after the Champions League final, where PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0.

14 muscle injuries

Dembélé didn't score, but he did provide two assists for Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to cement France's triumph in Munich. An extraordinary performance to complete a sensational season: 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 matches for four titles: Ligue 1, the French Cup and Super Cup, and the Champions League. All of this before the Club World Cup, where he led PSG to their quarter-final and semi-final victories against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid (two goals and one assist in both matches) until Chelsea prevented Luis Enrique's side from winning all the trophies of the season.

At 28, Dembélé is enjoying the best moment of a career that has seen its ups and downs. Just turned 19, in 2016, he left Rennes for Dortmund for €15 million, and within months, his name had risen on the list of European football's most promising players. Ten goals and 21 assists for the Germans under Thomas Tuchel convinced Barcelona, ​​who the following summer, in 2017, chose him to succeed Neymar Jr. The Barcelona board, which had received the Brazilian's €222 million release clause from PSG, put €145 million on the table for the Germans: €105 million fixed and €40 million in variables.

He was the most expensive signing in Barça's history, but injuries and rumors about his commitment and professionalism on and off the field marked his career in Barcelona. He suffered 14 muscle injuries and was sidelined for 784 days, figures that prevented him from shining at the level of a club in need.

Eight goals in the Champions League

Thus, in August 2023, Barcelona accepted PSG's €50 million offer, and Dembélé returned to France, where he met with Luis Enrique and, through arguments, his footballing reality changed, although it was difficult. At the end of September 2024, at the start of the season that would see him crowned Ballon d'Or winner, the manager dropped the player due to "a commitment issue" before the Champions League group stage match against Arsenal. "When a player doesn't fulfill his obligations, he's dropped. I'm tough when I need to be tough. That's my role," Luis Enrique said at the time.

Dembélé accepted and learned from the punishment, racking up eight goals and six assists in the last Champions League season, scoring or assisting in every knockout match except one, the first leg of the round of 16 against Liverpool. He appeared before all of Europe and atoned for his sins at Barcelona and in his first year in Paris to lift the Ballon d'Or at the Chatelet.

" Luis Enrique is like my father . Well, he is my father," admitted the emotional French striker on the night he was crowned champion. "To win this trophy and have it presented to me by Ronaldinho is something exceptional. Thanks to Stade Rennes, Dortmund, Barça... There I was able to learn alongside players like Messi and Iniesta . It's incredible," he said.

Previously, Aitana had admitted that the award "could have gone to any of you," referring to her rivals for the prize. "If I could share it, I would. This is the first year we have the same prizes as the men's, and it's appreciated. Equality is something we've been demanding for a long time ," she expressed.