The best footballer of the year 2025 has been Ousmane Dembele. This has been the year where he has come close to fulfilling his potential that many claimed he had almost a decade ago. Ousmane Dembele has had a fabulous year and what he has done in the absence of Kylian Mbappe and Messi at Paris Saint-Germain is nothing short of extraordinary. The ambidextrous winger has been in fine form this season. With PSG he has managed to achieve something they had never come close to doing which is winning the Champions League, despite getting rid of several of the superstars that were supposed to lead them to European glory.

Dembele has always been an enigmatic figure. In an infamous clip dating back to his Rennes days, he couldn’t decide which was his stronger foot, and for years he was a destabilising but a quality winger, capable of dazzling and disappointing in equal measure, and he faded away did not quite do just to his early promise.

Luis Enrique, the current coach of PSG, having worked with Dembele at Barcelona, knows him better than most and the PSG manager sparked an improbable reinvention. Converted Dembele into a No 9 and he proved to be prolific. His 35 goals last season saw him awarded the Ballon d’Or in September on top of the world and he has continued his form this year.

With a new found role in the absence of Mbappe, Dembele made 48 goal contributions in 49 games which is an astonishing record. This also rewarded him with a Ballon d’Or. Paris Saint-Germain and France superstar Ousmane Dembele was also voted as The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2025. The dynamic attacker has been rewarded following an incredible season for PSG.

He was a talismanic figure during the club’s run to a maiden UEFA Champions League title, scoring eight times and providing six assists during their triumphant European campaign for PSG. Dembele who was named as the 2024/25 season’s MVP in both the continental competition and Ligue 1 also played an integral role as PSG won a domestic treble. Dembele helped the team reach the final of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup.

Highlights of Dembele in 2025

  • Won the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League
  • Won the 2024/25 Ligue 1
  • Won the 2024/25 Coupe de France
  • Won the 2024 Trophee des Champions
  • Named the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Player of the Season
  • Named Ligue 1 Player of the Year
  • Joint-top scorer in the 2024/25 Ligue 1