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Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or, capping a sensational season that saw him lead PSG to their first-ever Champions League title. The 28-year-old forward beat out Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal for the top honor, which was awarded at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday. A historic season for Dembele and PSG Dembele was instrumental in PSG’s historic season, which also saw them lift the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France trophies. The French international scored an impressive 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions. His explosive form was crucial for the treble-winning side, especially after Kylian Mbappe’s departure to Real Madrid, as Dembele seamlessly transitioned into a more central attacking role. He succeeds Manchester City’s Rodri as the men’s player of the year, an award administered by France Football and decided by a vote of international journalists. The criteria for the award include individual performance, team achievements, and a player’s class and fair play. From Barcelona to Ballon d’Or Dembele’s victory marks a remarkable turnaround for the forward, who struggled to meet expectations during his six seasons at Barcelona after a high-profile €100 million move in 2017. However, since his €50 million transfer to PSG in 2023, he has flourished under coach Luis Enrique, establishing himself as one of the world’s elite players. “Thank you all,” an emotional Dembele said upon receiving the award from legendary player Ronaldinho. “What just happened to me is incredible. I’m speechless. It’s been an amazing season with PSG... I want to thank PSG for signing me in 2023. The president, the entire team, and the club. They are a wonderful family.” Pedri, Lewandowski to skip Ballon d’Or gala in Paris He also credited Luis Enrique, saying the coach “is like a father to me” and has been “very important to my career.” Other awards at the ceremony The ceremony also celebrated other standout performers from the past season: Lamine Yamal, 18, who had a brilliant season with Barcelona, was awarded the Kopa Trophy for second time for the best under-21 male player. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won her third consecutive Ballon d’Or Feminin, joining an exclusive club alongside Michel Platini and Lionel Messi. Vicky Lopez of Barcelona was named the best under-21 female player. The Gerd Müller trophy for the season’s top goal scorers went to Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor. Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy) and Hannah Hampton (Chelsea) were named the best goalkeepers, receiving the Yashin Trophy and Lev Yashin Trophy, respectively. The Johan Cruyff trophies for best coaches were awarded to PSG’s Luis Enrique and England women’s team manager, Sarina Wiegman.

France Football will host the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards in Paris on Monday, with Barcelona well represented across multiple categories. However, two of the club’s biggest names, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri, will not be making the trip to the French capital despite their nominations. Spanish media confirmed over the weekend that both players have opted out of attending the ceremony. According to Spanish media outlet Sport, Pedri has mutually agreed with the club to skip the ceremony. The midfielder, who has enjoyed a standout year at club and international level, is reportedly prioritizing rest to manage a demanding schedule under new coach Hansi Flick. He is also not considered among the frontrunners for the men’s award this year. Lewandowski’s absence stems from fitness concerns following an injury sustained during the summer. The Polish striker has yet to fully rediscover his form this season and, like Pedri, is viewed as not a top contender for the prize. Barcelona’s main hopes for recognition lie with Raphinha and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who are widely tipped to feature on the podium alongside Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele. Their performances over the past year have put them firmly in contention for the Ballon d’Or. It will be interesting to see how Barcelona’s nominees get on during the Ballon d’Or ceremony. The Catalan club is well represented across different categories. Nominations include Lewandowski, Pedri, Raphinha, and Yamal for the men’s award, while Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas, Claudia Pina, Patri Guijarro, Ewa Pajor, and Caroline Graham Hansen are all shortlisted for the women’s equivalent. Barcelona are also among the contenders for both the Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year awards. In addition, head coach Hansi Flick has been nominated for the Johan Cruyff Trophy, while goalkeeper Cata Coll is in the running for the Women’s Yachine Trophy. The club’s emerging talents have also earned recognition. Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí have been shortlisted for the men’s Kopa Trophy, while Vicky López is nominated on the women’s side.  

French forward Karim Benzema joined Real Madrid's second galactico after being acquired from Ligue 1 club Lyon for 30 million pounds in 2009. He had to play second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo in his early years. No one could have predicted that one day Benzema would take home football’s most prestigious award before Cristiano left Madrid in 2018. Since Ronaldo left, the gifted striker has taken on the role as the main hitman. He had a crucial role in Madrid's success the previous season, which helped him win the Ballon d'Or 2022 award. How Benzema has transformed himself into a top striker upfront In football, clutch players often get high value, and not every world-class footballer has the ability to deliver when it matters the most. That is why only a handful of them are considered clutch players. Read: Karim Benzema wins Ballon d’Or for the first time Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has turned out to be a decisive player when Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Italian giants, Juventus, in the summer of 2018. Before that, Benzema’s role was largely to support Cristiano in the attacking half. He even had stiff competition with Gonzalo Higuian in the initial few seasons and later with Gareth Bale in Madrid. Real Madrid initially struggled to cope without Ronaldo, who helped the Spanish giant win three consecutive Champions Leagues from 2016 to 2018. In the 2018-2019 season, the Los Blancos finished third. Real Madrid soon returned with their best and were crowned La Liga champions in the 2019-2020 season and had strong performances in the 2020-2021 campaign. At the same time, Karim Benzema has continued to shine as a forward, finishing as the top goal scorer for Madrid in each season since Cristiano’s departure, which has also impacted hugely on his growth as a leader. Taking the main role of scoring goals, Karim initially had to adjust his position upfront and to make a strong connection with other forwards, the likes of Lucas Vazquez and young Vincius Junior and Rodrygo. The French forward soon started to realize that he is Madrid’s main reliance and has to take his game to the next level to become one of the most lethal strikers in the world. Benzema’s contribution as a clutch player in Real Madrid’s dream run in the 2021–2022 Champions League When Real Madrid started their 2021–2022 campaign with a newly recruited experienced manager, Carlo Ancelotti, and with an aged squad, the odds didn’t favour them to win La Liga, let alone the Champions League. Atletico Madrid were considered the ultimate favourites to win the domestic title, while a host of European giants were ahead of Real Madrid to clinch the UCL tournament. Read: Neymar faces fraud trial for Barcelona transfer from Santos However, after finding a new vice captaincy role in the 2021-2022 season, Benzema seemed to rejuvenate even more from the beginning. Head coach Ancelotti should be applauded for his role in injecting motivation into the players and giving them continuous faith when needed. Karim Benzema was the major receiver of Ancelotti’s motivation and became a clutch player for the team. He continued to find the net in the dying moments of the domestic tournaments. But Karim's efforts in the UEFA Champions League's knockout rounds were what had even his harshest critics gushing with adoration. Karim Benzema wreaked havoc on some of Europe's best teams and snatched victory in the dying moments. The positioning of Benzema in the centre, Vinicius Jr. to the left, Rodrygo or Federico Valverde to the right, and Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the middle behind them worked out perfectly for the team. Most of the time, Real Madrid were down and out, but in games where Benzema was the difference, they rallied to win them in the final 30 minutes. In the round of 16, PSG was favourite to advance to the quarter-final after winning the first leg over Real Madrid 1-0 at the Parc des Princes and was even 1-0 up in the second leg until the 60th minute of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. But Paris Saint-Germain’s expectations were dashed when Benzema ran riot on PSG’s defense and earned a hat-trick within 18 minutes. PSG supporters were stunned and in disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Karim Benzema was devastating against Chelsea in both legs of the quarter-final. He scored a brilliant hat-trick at Stamford Bridge and also scored the decisive goal in extra time to send Real Madrid into the semifinals. In Real Madrid's semi-final match against Manchester City, the French forward was even more important, and he delivered. He scored twice in Real Madrid’s loss to Man City by 4-3 in the first leg and also scored the decisive goal in extra time in the second leg at the Bernabeu. Karim Benzema was all but certain to win the 2022 Ballon d'Or trophy after his efforts against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City in the Round of 16, Quarterfinal, and Semifinal. Read: Maradona's 'Hand of God' ball expected to rake in $2.7m-$3.3m at auction Karim Benzema’s football stats in the 2021–2022 season Karim Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 appearances for Real Madrid in the 2021–2022 season, including 15 in 12 outings in the Champions League. He helped Madrid win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Apart from his performances with the Spanish club, Benzema was brilliant for his national side. Karim scored 9 goals in 13 appearances for the French national team in 2021 and helped them to win the 2020–2021 UEFA Nations League. Bottom Line Karim Benzema's dream of winning the Ballon d'Or came true on Monday when Zinedine Zidane handed him the trophy. Zizou, who won the prestigious prize in 1998, was the last Frenchman to win it before yesterday. Karim Benzema therefore became the fifth Frenchman to receive the Ballon d'Or trophy, and he was undoubtedly a deserving winner. Read: Mbappe transfer: Possible destinations if he leaves in Jan 2023