Ballon d'Or 2025: Ousmane Dembélé recognized as the best footballer of the year

Today, September 22, the Ballon d'Or ceremony organized by France Football took place in Paris. This was the 69th ceremony where the prestigious award was handed to the best footballer of the year.

Ousmane Dembélé from 'PSG' became the holder of the Ballon d'Or for 2025. This award was established by France Football back in 1956.

It is also worth noting that Ukrainian footballers have repeatedly been awarded this prestigious honor. Andriy Shevchenko, Oleg Blokhin, and Ihor Belanov received the Ballon d'Or in 2004, 1975, and 1986 respectively while playing for Kyiv's 'Dynamo' under the legendary Valeriy Lobanovskyi.

In the second round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, the Ukrainian national team drew with the team from Azerbaijan, with Sudakov scoring for our team. The next match is expected on October 10, when the Ukrainians will meet the Icelandic national team.

This year, the Ballon d'Or was awarded to Ousmane Dembélé at an average age of footballers, and the Ukrainian successes of Shevchenko, Belanov, and Blokhin, who have repeatedly delighted their fans, were also mentioned.