Ousmane Dembele beats Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembele wins the 69th Ballon d’Or in Paris, with PSG, Arsenal, and Aitana Bonmati also claiming top honors on a historic awards night.

Ousmane Dembele poses with his Ballon d'Or after beating Lamine Yamal to the award on Monday at a lavish event in France. (Photo credit: BBC)

History was made at the Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris, France as PSG winger Ousmane Dembele won the 69th Ballon d’Or ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.

In a lavish award night presided over by legendary Dutch footballer Ruud Gullit and ace broadcaster Kate Scott, the Frenchman got the nods of managers and fellow professionals to become the latest winner of the most prestigious individual honour in football.

Arsenal’s women’s team was voted female team of the year following their Champions League triumph, while PSG was voted male team of the year after a clean sweep in France as well as the Champions League that has proven elusive over the last few years.

Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy once again, and Victoria Lopez won the female version of it. Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres won the Gerd Muller trophy for his trailer load of goals last season, while Sarina Weigman was voted as the female coach of the year, with Luis Henrique winning the male one.

For the biggest one of the night, Aitana Bonmati retained the female Ballon d’Or, beating her Spanish compatriot Mariona Caldentey of Arsenal to the award. England and Arsenal’s Alessia Russo came third after helping Arsenal to the Champions League trophy and England to the Euros championship.

"Thank you all," an emotional Dembélé said on Monday. "What just happened to me is incredible. I'm speechless. It's been a wonderful season with PSG. I've experienced incredible things, and I'm a little nervous; it's not easy.

"Receiving this trophy, especially from Ronaldinho, is truly exceptional. I want to thank PSG for signing me in 2023. The president, the entire team, and the club. They are a wonderful family. From day one, the president has treated me very well."

Dembele becomes the sixth Frenchman to win the prestigious award after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema. This award is a testament to the great works of Luis Henrique and the PSG hierarchy.