Four days after helping his team reach the final of the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain striker Ousmane Dembélé was celebrating an award as Ligue 1's best player of the 2024/2025 season.
Dembélé was chosen by his peers in the Union National des Footballeurs Professionnels for the accolade ahead of PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi and Lyon's Ryan Cherki.
The 27-year-old Frenchman, who has played in a more central role this season under boss Luis Enrique, was hailed for his performances in which he has scored 33 goals and laid on the pass leading to 13 goals in competitions including Ligue1, the Champions League, the Coupe de France and the French Super Cup.
"With this slight shift I'm more at the heart of the game, and I'm more in front of goal too," Dembélé said as he received the trophy from France coach Didier Deschamps.
"It has helped me score goals and be more lucid in the box. I'm happy in this position."
Gesturing to Deschamps, he quipped: "He still puts me on the right."
"This season, the genie came out of the bottle and we saw the real @dembouz [Dembélé]," the UNFP said on social media to announce the prize.
"High-performing, decisive, consistent, always a genius dribbler, the best prospect of 2016 has been exceptional and he's getting the plaudits he deserves."
PSG high
Dembélé's teammate Désiré Doué won the best young player in Ligue 1 and the two were among a record nine PSG players who featured in the Ligue 1 team of the year.
In front of Lille's Lucas Chevalier - the goalkeeper of the year - Hakimi formed the defence with his PSG teammates Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho.
Doué, Joao Neves and Vitinha were named as the midfield troika while Bradley Barcola joined Dembélé in attack along with Cherki.
The collection surpasses the eight PSG players who were named in the 2015–2016 Ligue 1 team of the year.
Enrique, who has led PSG to five trophies since taking over from Christophe Galtier in July 2023, was anointed coach of the year by his counterparts.
Marseille's Amine Gouiri claimed the goal of the season in Ligue 1 for his strike against Brest.
In Ligue 2, Lorient swept the awards. Éli Junior Kroupi won best player, Yvon Mvogo was deemed the best goalkeeper and Olivier Pantaloni, the top coach.
Clara Mateo of Paris FC won the best female player in the Première League and Lyon's Christiane Endler was voted best goalkeeper.
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé, who won the UNFP best player prize a record five times during his time at PSG, was saluted as the best French player operating in a foreign championship.
The prize came hours after the France skipper scored a hat trick but still ended up on the losing side as Barcelona beat Madrid 4-3 to go seven points clear at the top of La Liga with three games remaining.
