Dembélé Makes History: The Best and Ballon d'Or Double That Echoes Messi and Ronaldo

Dembele makes history with a double crown

The French forward Ousmane Dembele has been crowned The Best for 2025, awarded by FIFA. The ceremony took place in Doha, the Qatari capital, on Tuesday night.

He adds this prize to the Ballon d'Or he captured in September, after a stellar year that saw him lead Paris Saint-Germain to their first UEFA Champions League title.

With these twins of glory, Dembele mirrors the careers of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modric, becoming the fourth player to win both The Best and the Ballon d'Or in the same year.

This year could define his career going forward, as Dembele joins a select group of players who have lifted both trophies in the same season.

Punchline 1: If trophies were targets, Dembele just scored a perfect headshot—with style.

Punchline 2: PSG's cabinet just got a little taller; long-range success looks good on him.