
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony saw more awards handed out than ever before, although much of the night’s discourse surrounded the triumphs of Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí for the most lucrative prizes.
While Bonmati claimed her third Ballon d’Or Féminin despite others, including Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey, arguably outperforming her in 2025–26, Dembélé triumphed for the very first time, having never previously been nominated for the award.