A wave of international recognition is surrounding Ousmane Dembélé, whose sensational season has placed him at the forefront of the Ballon d’Or race.

Le Parisien surveyed 12 football journalists from major footballing nations, and the results are crystal clear: 7 ranked Dembélé as their No.1 pick, 3 placed him in their Top 3, and only 2 excluded him from the podium. This near-unanimous support confirms that the French winger has taken world football by storm.

🌍 The World of Football Votes Dembélé

Here’s a breakdown of the journalists’ picks:

✅ Ranked Dembélé 1st:

• France 🇫🇷 (Le Parisien):
  🥇 Dembélé – 🥈 Lamine Yamal – 🥉 Hakimi
• Argentina 🇦🇷:
  🥇 Dembélé – 🥈 Yamal – 🥉 Raphinha
• USA 🇺🇸:
  🥇 Dembélé – 🥈 Yamal – 🥉 Nuno Mendes
• Brazil 🇧🇷:
  🥇 Dembélé – 🥈 Yamal – 🥉 Vitinha
• Belgium 🇧🇪:
  🥇 Dembélé – 🥈 Yamal – 🥉 Hakimi
• South Korea 🇰🇷:
  🥇 Dembélé – 🥈 Vitinha – 🥉 Mbappé
• Tunisia 🇹🇳:
  🥇 Dembélé – 🥈 Yamal – 🥉 Hakimi

⚖️ Placed Him in the Top 3:

• Germany 🇩🇪:
  🥇 Vitinha – 🥈 Yamal – 🥉 Dembélé
• Spain 🇪🇸:
  🥇 Yamal – 🥈 Dembélé – 🥉 Vitinha
• Portugal 🇵🇹:
  🥇 Vitinha – 🥈 Dembélé – 🥉 Yamal

❌ Excluded from Top 3:

• Italy 🇮🇹:
  🥇 Donnarumma – 🥈 Vitinha – 🥉 Yamal
• The Athletic (England) 🏴:
  🥇 Hakimi – 🥈 Nuno Mendes – 🥉 Vitinha

🎯 A Season to Remember

With 19 goals and 23 assists across all competitions, Dembélé has shone brightest when it mattered most: scoring in the Club World Cup final, providing two key assists against Real Madrid in the semi-final, and emerging as a technical leader in a rejuvenated PSG squad. His one-on-one brilliance, consistency, and vision make him an undisputed game-changer.

🏆 Ballon d’Or Within Reach

As the ceremony draws near, Dembélé appears to be the clear front-runner. If this trend continues, he could become the first French player to win the Ballon d’Or since Karim Benzema in 2022.

The football world holds its breath, but for many, there is no more suspense:
Ousmane Dembélé is the 2025 Ballon d’Or.