Dembele’s Season by the Numbers: Why His Ballon d’Or Win Was No Surprise

When the announcement came that Ousmane Dembélé had won the Ballon d’Or, the football world buzzed with excitement and shock. Casual fans were caught by surprise since the award, for the past couple of decades, always went in the hands of just a couple of players, but for everyone else who followed the French winger throughout the past season it was an expected turn of events. His stats were just simply too good to ignore. Dembele didn’t just show quick bursts of brilliance in a couple of matches, but a climax of everything that he worked for. Injuries in the very beginning of his career made him look unpredictable and weak to many coaches who labeled him as one of the talents who would never reach his true potential. They were wrong. This past season, Dembele’s body didn’t work against him and with that his confidence and performance level grew. Winning the Ballon d’Or crowned the season when Dembele dazzled, determined to prove his potential as the best player in the world. Whatever number we look at, goals, assists, dribbles, and creating chances, Dembélé stood out, which is why, at the end, there was no doubt that the trophy was his. 

Goals: More Than Just Numbers 

Dembele’s total score this season was an astounding 35 goals. His previous best season didn’t even reach half this number, making this the greatest success in his career.  

The goals came from all sides, his left foot, his right foot, and even with his head, which made the rival’s defense players puzzled and helpless. When a player can shoot with both feet equally well, and also has a perfect aerial attack, the opponent cannot force him onto his weaker side because he doesn’t really have one. Most goals came in big matches when it really mattered.  Extra time winner in the French Super Cup, Trophée des Champions. Dembélé won the first trophy of the season in stoppage time, smashing in a 90+2’ winner to give PSG the Super Cup. Brace in a Ligue 1 win. He scored both goals, one as an opener and the second one from a penalty in the first half, to bring the final score to PSG- Saint-Étienne, 2-1. Goal in the Champions League. Manchester City led with two goals early in the second half, only for Dembele to start an avalanche with the first goal, and for PSG to win 4-2 in the end. Hat trick away in Ligue 1. Dembélé hit a hat trick in 29’, 57’, 62’. It was his second hat trick of the week and kept PSG unbeaten. Brace in the Champions League. In the first knockout round Dembele scored twice to bring the final score to PSG-Brest, 3-0.  Brace vs. Monaco. Dembélé struck two in the second half to turn in a good performance to defeat Monaco 4-1, and widen the gap for PSG at the top. The semi final decider in the Champions League. The one goal that fans and Dembele will remember for a long time. Dembélé scored in the 4th minute to give PSG a 1-0 first leg win in the Champions League semi final. That away goal gave the club a ticket for reaching the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final where PSG beat Inter Milan with an astonishing 5-0. Almost every single goal by Dembele changed the course of the season for his team, giving him a spotlight, self esteem, stirring up the fans and bettors at Stake.com, and finally proving that his talents were there the whole time just waiting for the right time to shine.  

Setting the Table 

Scoring goals is thrilling for the player, but assisting other teammates shows a high level of confidence and maturity. Dembélé ended the year with 21 assists, making him one of the most generous and most effective forwards in Europe. We can rarely see a striker setting up chances for other players since they are the ones expecting others to come through for them. Dembele proved to be not just a great forward, but an amazing ally and dedicated part of the team. Assists, just like his goals, came from various sides. Some assists came from clever through balls, others from whipped crosses, and many from solo dribbles that left defenders behind before he rolled the ball to a teammate. One of the most famous came in the Champions League final when he passed two defenders and got the ball to his teammate. This was Dembele’s whole season in a few seconds showing skill, determination, speed, intelligence and perfect timing to put his team in the lead. The balance of 35 goals and 21 assists shows just how complete he has become. Some attackers are selfish scorers, while others are providers. Dembélé managed to be both. 

Dribbling: The Fear Factor 

Dembele is one of the players in the world to strike fear into defenders before scoring a goal. He is unstoppable and unpredictable, a deadly combination for any defense line, with a ruthless 4.8 successful dribbles per match this past season. Watching him on the field, we see that dribbling is not just about tricking the rival, but rather about breaking the whole defense line, and their game plan, leaving the opponents to scramble to close an opening and intercept passing lines. In these moments the match irretrievably tilts in his team’s favor. His best dribbling display came against Manchester City in the Champions League quarter final where he had 11 dribbles in a single match which was more than the entire City team combined. That kind of performance forces even the best defenses to fall apart.  

Passing and Chance Creation 

Dembele was often blamed for missing out on many passes in the past. The media, fans and even his teammates were sometimes harsh when addressing his performances on the field. This season, it was a different story. Dembele had a fantastic score of 78% pass completion rate which is super high for a player who is constantly in the mix, trying to make passes from impossible situations. French also landed in the top five players in Europe, creating 92 chances for his team during the whole season. This impressive number means that almost every game, he delivered two or three moments where a teammate had a clear shot at goal, regardless of whether they scored or not. His creative impact was undeniable and was not ignored by the Ballon d’Or.  

Defensive Work: The Hidden Side 

Dembele’s attacking capabilities took center stage, overwhelming the headlines, experts, and fans, but his defending skills were also noticed. As a winger, who is not usually tracking down but tends to stay in the rival’s half of the field, he averaged a remarkable 1.2 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game. These numbers might seem insignificant, but 180 journalists from 100 countries voting on Ballon d’Or beg to differ, with an argument that this shows that Dembele is not only a striker who waits for the ball to be passed to him and then goes into attacking mode, but is also proactive along with his team.  

Comparisons with Rivals 

The Ballon d’Or race is never just about one player, but rather how he stacks up against rivals. This year, Dembélé’s numbers outshone even the biggest names.  

• Mbappé’s season was also very strong, especially in La Liga and in European competitions. In La Liga, Mbappé scored 31 goals and made 3 assists in 34 appearances. Across all competitions Real Madrid’s squad statistics page shows Mbappé’s goal totals as 44 goals. Also, Mbappé scored 7 Champions League goals, in addition to his La Liga and other goals. So, compared to Dembélé, Mbappé scored fewer in the UCL, but Mbappé’s overall goals in all competitions exceeded Dembélé’s. In terms of assists, Mbappé’s assist numbers in La Liga were modest, only three.  

• Haaland’s 2024/25 in the Premier League for Manchester City was very much only the scorer. In Premier League 2024/25, Haaland scored 22 goals and made 3 assists in 31 appearances. For all competitions, Manchester City’s season summary shows Haaland has totaled 34 goals across competitions. In the Champions League 2024/25, the UCL top scorer listing puts Haaland at 8 goals in the competition. So compared with Dembélé, Haaland and Dembélé are similar in UCL goal count, but Haaland’s league goals are less than Dembélé’s total, though comparing league to all competitions always has its flaws. In assists, Haaland had fewer, 3 in the league, than Dembélé’s 14 in the season. Haaland’s role is more of a pure striker focused on finishing the attack, but he is less involved in dribbling, wide play, or defensive contributions.  

The Role of Fitness and Confidence 

Dembele’s name was always tied to endless injuries that kept him off the field. Every time he seemed ready to shine, a hamstring pull or a knee issue sent him back to the treatment room. Fans were disappointed, coaches were hesitant to put him in the match unsure of his readiness and mental strength, while bettors were reluctant to put anything on the line when the offensive line depended on Dembele. This year we saw a different player emerging. Dembele admitted that he was not taking his physical state seriously, but he matured and started treating his body better. For the first time in his career, he managed to play nearly every game without long breaks on the sidelines mostly thanks to his medical staff that was adamant about his diet, training and recovery treatment after so many injuries.  

Confidence followed. Once he strung together a run of healthy games, his old fear of breaking down disappeared. He played fiercely, giving his all in every match, and the more he trusted his body that it would hold up, the more determined he became. And his confidence was showing every time he touched the ball. This change was one of the deciding factors in the Ballon d’Or, where talent is appreciated, but consistency is far more admired. Dembélé finally did that. 

Achievements That Sealed the Award 

Winning the Ballon d’Or is rarely about one competition. It usually requires success across club and international football. Dembélé ticked every box. In PSG Dembele was treated as a superstar this season. He scored multiple goals, including the ones in the quarter finals and semi finals for the Champions League, as well as scoring goals and assisting in domestic matches.  By the end of the year, he had collected multiple trophies, personal milestones, and highlight moments, leaving voters with little choice. Other candidates had good seasons, but Dembélé’s blend of stats and trophies made his case stronger than anyone else’s. 

His Reaction to the News 

Once the news broke about winning the Ballon d’Or, reporters rushed to get Dembele’s statement about the shocking news. To everyone’s surprise he managed to stay humble, thanking everyone from teammates and coaching staff to fans, who believed in him and let him have another chance in showing off his true talent. He said it felt like the reward for years of hard work, the hours in gyms, the lonely period of rehabilitation, and the mental battles that were holding him back from living up to his full potential and to stay positive.  

Dembele went from a wasted talent not long ago to standing at the very top of football in just one season.  

What This Means for His Career 

Winning the Ballon d’Or changes a player’s status forever. Dembele proved that he deserves to be standing among one of the best players on the planet, and that the days of doubt and inconsistency are long gone. He is a new player now, and the title of Ballon d’Or winner will follow him for the rest of his life. The question remains: where does he go from here? Some players in the past won the award and faded into history, while others like Messi and Ronaldo used it as fuel for years to come. Dembele has the potential and he is still in his late twenties meaning that there are still several prime, strong years ahead of him. Maintaining the form and keeping the drive will be crucial to continuing his legacy and inspiring the next generation of players.