Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, issued an official statement regarding the 2025 Ballon d’Or, won on Monday evening by Ousmane Dembélé, the 28-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team. His words were very positive.
“Alongside Kopa, Platini, Papin, Zidane and Benzema.”
“Huge congratulations to Ousmane Dembélé! He enters the French football Hall of Fame alongside Kopa, Platini, Papin, Zidane and Benzema. This is a well-deserved award for Ousmane, who had an exceptional 2025 season with Paris Saint-Germain, as well as with the French national team.
Beyond his outstanding record [French league champion, French Cup winner, Champions League winner, FIFA Club World Cup finalist, UEFA Super Cup winner with PSG; UEFA Nations League third-place finisher with the French national team], Ousmane has taken his game to another level, adding a deadly efficiency in front of goal to his speed and dribbling skills.
“Above all, he is a truly endearing character, universally admired.”
I am very happy for him, because while he is a player of exceptional talent, he is above all a very likeable person, universally admired.
This is a moment to celebrate for Dembélé, PSG and French football. Winning the Ballon d’Or is a significant achievement. It is global recognition and an opportunity to further shine the spotlight on French football. It’s also worth noting that France has the most different players who have won the Ballon d’Or. This is a remarkable success, far removed from the criticism often directed at French football. But it also underscores the need to continue working to nurture this exceptional talent pool and strengthen the French league.
In any case, the Parisian forward has achieved something truly remarkable, supported by an exceptional team.” We absolutely shouldn’t overlook this. This individual award in a team sport carries the risk of making people forget that the team comes first. We appreciated that Dembélé emphasized this point in his speech during the ceremony.
