The annual France Football gala unfolded on Monday, 22 September 2025, inside the historic Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The show began at 21:00 Central European Time and was broadcast live across a range of European networks and streaming platforms. The venue, known for its grand architecture and acoustics, added a classic touch to football’s most coveted individual awards night.
The ceremony celebrated the best performances from the 2024‑25 season, spanning domestic leagues, continental tournaments and international fixtures. Fans in the hall and millions watching from home were treated to a blend of glittering red‑carpet moments, video montages of spectacular goals, and heartfelt speeches from former winners.
Paris Saint‑Germain’s French winger turned striker, Ousmane Dembélé, walked away with the coveted men’s prize. At 28, Dembélé enjoyed a career‑defining campaign under manager Luis Enrique, who shifted him from the right flank to a central attacking role. In Ligue 1 he featured in 29 matches, scoring 21 goals and delivering eight assists – a tally that saw him share the league’s top‑scorer accolade.
His impact was even more pronounced in Europe’s elite competition. Dembélé netted eight goals and supplied six assists in the Champions League, including a brace against Manchester City and the decisive strike that sealed PSG’s semifinal win over Arsenal. He also set up the winning goal in the final against Inter Milan, helping PSG lift their first European crown in a decade.
These numbers, combined with PSG’s domestic double and continental triumph, made Dembélé the clear favorite in the voting panel, which consists of journalists, national team coaches and former players.
Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal finished second, signalling a generational shift in world football. Other PSG teammates – defender Achraf Hakimi and midfield dynamo Vitinha – were mentioned as strong contenders throughout the season, but Dembélé’s consistency in front of goal tipped the scales in his favor.
The night also highlighted several ancillary categories. The Play of the Year award, to be announced on 26 September, featured five spectacular moments selected by a panel of experts:
Coaching honours were also on display, with five managers in the running:
Each nominee was praised for tactical innovation, squad rotation and the ability to extract peak performances from their players across multiple competitions.
Historically, the 2025 ceremony follows Rodri’s 2024 victory and continues the tradition of honoring individual brilliance. Dembélé, who grew up dreaming of the “Holy Grail” of football, described the moment as the culmination of a lifelong ambition.
For viewers who missed the live broadcast, replays will be available on the official France Football website and on the streaming services of the partnered broadcasters. The event’s highlights, including the winner’s speech and the Play of the Year nominees, are expected to be uploaded within 24 hours of the ceremony.
Charlotte Louise Brazier
September 23, 2025 AT 03:01Dembélé finally earned the Ballon he’s been bragging about all season!
Donny Evason
September 23, 2025 AT 22:28What a night! The Théâtre du Châtelet was buzzing and Dembélé’s haul was the headline we all expected. PSG’s double plus a Champions League crown cemented his claim, and the voting panel could’ve missed a beat. Honestly, it feels like the French forward finally got his due.
Phillip Cullinane
September 24, 2025 AT 17:55The statistical output of Dembélé this season provides a compelling case study for performance analysts. His goal conversion rate in Ligue 1 hovered around 72%, a metric that sits well above the league average. Furthermore, the expected goals (xG) differential illustrates a consistent overperformance relative to positional peers. In the Champions League, his eight-goal tally contributed to a 0.68 goals per 90 minutes ratio, a figure reminiscent of elite forwards. The assist metrics also reveal a progressive playmaking dimension, with six key passes per match in the knockout phases. From a tactical standpoint, Luis Enrique’s deployment of Dembélé in a false nine role unlocked spatial exploitation on the flanks. The inter‑team pressing models showed a reduction in defensive transitions when Dembélé was on the ball. Video analysis highlights a 15% increase in high‑intensity sprints during counter‑attacking sequences. Moreover, his involvement in set‑piece routines added an extra layer of strategic variability for PSG. When juxtaposed with his peers, the variance in shot distance points to a refined composure inside the box. The psychological dimension cannot be ignored; Dembélé’s confidence manifested in clutch moments, notably the decisive strike against Arsenal. His cumulative minutes played, 2,520 across all competitions, suggest a durability factor rarely seen in players of his age bracket. Advanced heat maps reveal a propensity to occupy central channels during high‑pressure periods. The voting panel’s composition-journalists, coaches, former players-aligns with the quantitative evidence presented herein. Thus, the Ballon d’Or accolade appears not merely as a sentimental award but as an empirical validation. In summary, Dembélé’s season encapsulated a synthesis of efficiency, versatility, and impact that warrants such recognition.
Janie Siernos
September 25, 2025 AT 13:21It was a nice ceremony, the atmosphere felt calm.
joy mukherjee
September 26, 2025 AT 08:48Seeing the Play of the Year nominees later will be exciting 😊 the hype is real!
Rob Chapman
September 27, 2025 AT 04:15Cool stats man Dembélé really crushed it this year his numbers speak for themselves no doubt
Delaney Lynch
September 27, 2025 AT 23:41Absolutely, indeed, the data is undeniable, and, frankly, anyone who doubts Dembélé’s brilliance is overlooking the sheer magnitude of his contributions!
Nicholas Mangraviti
September 28, 2025 AT 19:08Dembélé deserved it.
Jared Greenwood
September 29, 2025 AT 14:35From an elite performance metric perspective, Dembélé’s output eclipses the standard deviation threshold for Ballon contention.
Sally Sparrow
September 30, 2025 AT 10:01Honestly the whole vote is a circus, the panel’s biases are obvious and the award is a sham.
Eric Yee
October 1, 2025 AT 05:28Lol the drama is insane the hype is just marketing fluff
Sohila Sandher
October 2, 2025 AT 00:55Dembél is the real MVP cant wait for the replayz
Anthony Morgano
October 2, 2025 AT 20:21Totally agree with you 😄 the replay will be lit!
Holly B.
October 3, 2025 AT 15:48The broadcast schedule will be updated shortly please stay tuned
Lauren Markovic
October 4, 2025 AT 11:15Yo guys, who else is replaying the best bits on loop? This night was fire!
Kathryn Susan Jenifer
October 5, 2025 AT 06:41Oh wow, because we all needed another endless highlight reel, right? 🙄
Jordan Bowens
October 6, 2025 AT 02:08Meh, same old, not that interesting.