Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé (28) was voted Ligue 1’s best player of the season for the second straight year on Monday during the UNFP trophy ceremony in Paris.
The French international, who was nominated alongside teammates Nuno Mendes and Vitinha, as well as Lens’ Florian Thauvin and Marseille striker Mason Greenwood, earned the honor from his fellow Ligue 1 professionals. He becomes only the fifth player in the league’s history to retain the title.
After being named the Ballon d’Or winner following a brilliant 2024-2025 campaign, Dembélé’s influence has been slightly less pronounced this term, partly due to physical issues that kept him sidelined early in the season.
“It’s an individual award, but all the individual trophies I’ve won are thanks to this entire team,” the forward said as he accepted his prize. “You’ve had a difficult journey, with many injuries, but you’ve always had the mental strength to come back even stronger,” praised France national team coach Didier Deschamps, who attended the ceremony.
Dembélé scored a spectacular goal against Lille in January, a perfectly measured chip that fans voted as the most beautiful goal of the season. The last player to win both the top player award and best goal honor was another PSG star, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in 2014.
With just two matches left in the championship and two days before a crucial trip to second-placed Lens, PSG holds a six-point lead and a goal difference of +15, making them virtual champions.
Tags: Football, Ligue 1, Ousmane Dembélé, Mason Greenwood, Nuno Mendes, Florian Thauvin, Vitor Ferreira, Didier Deschamps, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG, Lens, Marseille, Lille