Aitana Bonmatí and Ousmane Dembélé Win Ballon d'Or Awards

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Aitana Bonmatí and Ousmane Dembélé Win Ballon d'Or Awards
Photo: Thibault Camus/AP/TT

Aitana Bonmatí is undoubtedly the world's best football player – and is awarded in line with that. Tonight's Ballon d'Or was her third in a row. It's an incredible feeling. I never believed it when I was a child, she says from the gala in Paris. Ousmane Dembélé won the men's prize.

Barcelona's and the Spanish national team's star Aitana Bonmatí was a clear pre-favourite to win the prestigious award for the third year in a row.

Or could her compatriot Mariona Caldentey snatch the prize from her?

Caldentey, club teammate with Stina Blackstenius in Arsenal, had to settle for finishing second in the vote.

Only the male players Lionel Messi, Argentina (four in a row), and Michel Platini, France, have previously won the award three years in a row.

I never thought when I was a child that I could achieve this because when I was a child, I didn't think women's football could exist. I had idols like Iniesta and Xavi when I was a child. It was only them I saw on TV. It's incredible to be here and make history, says the Spaniard in her acceptance speech.

Among the men, the duel was between the Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé and the Spaniard Lamine Yamal.

Dembélé received the most votes after his fine season when Paris SG finally managed to win the Champions League.

It's been a turbulent year. This is an individual award, but we won our successes as a collective, says Dembélé, who in a long and emotional speech thanked everyone and couldn't hold back tears.

The Ballon d'Or is awarded by the French newspaper France Football and is considered the finest individual award a football player can receive.

On the women's side, it has been awarded since 2018.

On the men's side, the Golden Ball has been awarded since 1956. The ball is – as the name more than suggests – made of genuine gold and the total weight of the award is twelve kilos.

Golden Ball, men: Ousmane Dembélé, France/Paris SG

Golden Ball, women: Aitana Bonmatí, Spain/Barcelona

Coach of the Year, men: Luis Enrique, Paris SG

Coach of the Year, women: Sarina Wiegman, England

Club of the Year, men: Paris SG

Club of the Year, women: Arsenal

Kopa award, men (world's best player under 21 years): Lamine Yamal, Spain/Barcelona

Kopa award, women: Vicky Lopez, Spain/Barcelona

Yashin award, men (world's best goalkeeper): Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy/PSG/Manchester City

Yashin award, women: Hannah Hampton, England/Chelsea

Gerd Müller award, men (top scorer): Viktor Gyökeres, Sweden/Sporting

Gerd Müller award, women: Ewa Pajor, Poland/Barcelona.

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