Paris [France], September 23 (ANI): Paris-Saint Germain and France’s prolific winger Ousmane Dembele pipped Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal to claim the men’s Ballon d’Or at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris on Monday night. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati made history by clinching the women’s title for the third year in a row.
With Brazilian legend Ronaldinho on the stage, standing on the cusp of announcing the winner of the coveted title, the theatre lit up and echoed with the chants of Dembele. There were a couple of shouts for Yamal as the situation tensed up, but the Frenchman took the top honours for the first time in his career.
The audience sang his chant, and he had to ask them to quiet down to make his speech. Dembele was PSG’s shining light on the attacking front, racking up 35 goals and contributing 16 assists for his club in 53 appearances. He kissed the trophy and became emotional during his speech when he talked about his mother, who was present during the ceremony.
Bonmati emerged triumphant for the third time in a row after she revelled in a sublime season with Barcelona. She stormed into the final of the Euros and the Champions League with Spain and Barcelona, respectively, but endured heartbreak on both occasions and returned empty-handed. She’s the first women’s player to win the Golden Ball three times in a row and joins football icons Lionel Messi and Michel Platini for the remarkable feat.
In the men’s category, Yamal retained the Kopa trophy after enjoying a stellar season for FC Barcelona for the second year running. The teenage sensation played a fundamental role in Blaugrana, lifting the La Liga, Copa del Rey & Supercopa de Espana titles. In 55 appearances, he netted 21 goals and 26 assists to wrap a season that was filled with tales of his prowess. He became the first player to win the title twice and also on two successive occasions.
“Firstly, thank you to France Football for the award. It’s an honour to be here again. I would also like to thank my club Barcelona, as well as the national team, because without them I would not be here,” Yamal said after his win.
The Paris Saint-Germain head coach, Luis Enrique, who guided his side to a historic treble, was crowned with the Men’s Johan Cruyff award. He wasn’t present to collect the prize for the best men’s coach of the year, due to PSG’s clash against Marseille. Under Enrique’s guidance, PSG lifted its maiden UEFA Champions League title with a resounding 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the final.
Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma secured the Men’s Yachine Trophy for best goalkeeper. He was crucial in PSG capturing its first-ever UCL title. In the recently concluded summer transfer window, he left Paris to join Manchester City and has already made his impact felt with a couple of top-draw saves.
The Gerd Muller trophy, named after the legendary German striker and awarded to the player with the most goals, belonged to Arsenal and Sweden’s Viktor Gyokeres. Before securing a move to London, Gyokeres was a revelation for Sporting CP in Portugal. He netted 54 goals in 52 appearances, including a hat-trick to down Manchester City in the Champions League last October.
DJ Snake, who is a massive PSG fan, along with former player Javier Pastore, announced Paris Saint-Germain as the winner of the Men’s Club of the Year Award. The Ligue 1 behemoths savoured a trophy-laden season, and Nasser El Khelaifi, the president of the club, collected the award. It was a bit ironic, considering PSG lost 1-0 to their bitter rival Marseille on the same night.
In the women’s category, Barcelona Femini’s Vicky Lopez pipped Michelle Agyemang to claim the Kopa trophy. With her victory, Barcelona dominated the youth category, sweeping both titles.
England Women manager Sarina Wiegman was adjudged the Women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy for best women’s coach of the year. Under her watchful eye, England won its second successive European Championship title this year, after trouncing Spain in the final.
“What an honour to get this award. After a very special summer with the even more insane tournament we had, I would first of all like to thank the players, the staff, the FA and my family for the hard work, trust, and unconditional support,” Sarina said during her speech as quoted from Sky Sports.
“The women’s game has grown so far, and we have broken records. This is not just a personal honour; I see it as a recognition of the women’s game. With the growth comes responsibility, we have to try and keep our identity. I hope we will keep fighting together against misogyny. Football should always be united, never divided,” she added.
England and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton bagged the women’s Yachine Trophy for best goalkeeper. She was vital to England’s success in the Euros. The Women’s Gerd Muller trophy went to Barcelona and Spain’s Ewa Pajor, who struck 43 goals in 45 games for Barcelona in her first season since moving from Wolfsburg.
DJ Snake, on stage with Pastore, announced Arsenal as the winner of the Women’s Club of the Year, following their memorable Champions League win, outfoxing Barcelona in the final.
Final Ballon d’Or men’s rankings: Ousmane Dembele (1), Lamine Yamal (2), Vitinha (3), Mohamed Salah (4), Raphinha (5), Achraf Hakimi (6), Kylian Mbappe (7), Cole Palmer (8), Gianluigi Donnarumma (9), Nuno Mendes (10).
Final Ballon d’Or women’s rankings: Aitana Bonmati (1), Mariona Caldentey (2), Alessia Russo (3), Alexia Putellas (4), Chloe Kelly (5), Patricia Guijarro (6), Leah Williamson (7), Ewa Pajor (8), Lucy Bronze (9), Hannah Hampton (10). (ANI)
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