Overview
- Ousmane Dembélé topped the 2025 Ballon d'Or with 1,380 points to Lamine Yamal’s 1,059, earning a leading 73 first-place votes to the teenager’s 11.
- Former Ballon d'Or winners overwhelmingly backed Yamal for the Kopa Trophy, with 24 of 27 placing him first on their ballots.
- Mohamed Salah finished fourth with 657 points, his best-ever Ballon d'Or placing, as pundits stressed that Liverpool’s earlier Champions League exit hurt his chances.
- Dembélé said Lionel Messi was the first to personally congratulate him, with notes also arriving from Xavi, Luis Suárez and PSG figures.
- PSG’s injury list grew as captain Marquinhos was ruled out until after the October break; Dembélé is also sidelined, putting both out of next week’s PSG–Barcelona Champions League meeting.