The 2025 Ballon d’Or gala revealed striking figures after the full voting details were published. France Football shared the complete results on Friday, showing the wide margin that gave Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé victory over young Spaniard Lamine Yamal. In the women’s category, Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí took home the award, though with a narrow lead over Mariona Caldentey.

Dembélé dominates men’s voting

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé collected a total of 1,380 points, finishing 321 ahead of Lamine Yamal, who received 1,059. The podium was rounded out by Portuguese midfielder Vitinha with 703 votes and Brazilian Raphinha with 620.

The PSG star was voted the best player in the world by 73 of the 100 journalists who took part in the ballot. Meanwhile, the Barcelona attacker, just 18 years old, was chosen first by eleven members of the jury, confirming his enormous potential. Other notable names who earned top votes included Achraf Hakimi, Kylian Mbappé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Scott McTominay.

Dembélé’s margin stands in contrast to last year, when Spain’s Rodri won by just 41 points over Vinícius Jr., underscoring the authority with which the Frenchman captured this year’s prize.

Tight finish in the women’s Ballon d’Or

In the women’s category, the race was much closer. Aitana Bonmatí, a key figure for Spain and Barcelona, finished with 506 points, just 28 more than Mariona Caldentey (478), who shone with Arsenal as they lifted the Champions League.

Third place went to England’s Alessia Russo, a double European champion, with 420 votes. Behind her was Alexia Putellas, winner in 2021 and 2022, who came fourth this time with 388 points.

The list was rounded out by England’s Chloe Kelly (233) and Spain’s Patricia Guijarro (157), highlighting the dominance of Spanish players on the international stage.

Takeaways from a historic edition

The publication of the votes confirms what many already suspected: Dembélé enjoyed a career-defining season with PSG, while Yamal has cemented himself as the brightest young talent in world football. In the women’s category, the duel between Aitana and Caldentey reaffirmed the strength of Spanish football, with several players ranking among the most voted.