Tearful Dembele wins Ballon d’Or as PSG dominate

FRANCE: Paris St-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele won his first Ballon d’Or as the French treble winners came away with several of the key men’s awards at the Paris ceremony.

The 28-year-old France forward scored 35 goals and made 14 assists in 53 matches for PSG last season as they won the Champions League, league title and the French Cup.

He was the joint top scorer in Ligue 1, with 21 goals, and named the French top flight and Champions League player of the year.

And he also helped PSG to the Club World Cup final where they lost to Chelsea in New Jersey.

Dembele, who beat Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal to the award, was able to attend the ceremony in Paris – and was in tears as he stood on the stage – despite the fact his team were playing on Monday evening.

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The forward is currently sidelined through injury, meaning he missed PSG’s 1-0 defeat away to Marseille in a game which was rearranged because of a storm.

“What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG,” said an emotional Dembele, whose mother joined him on the stage.

“I feel a bit of stress, it’s not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional.