Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona Femeni have been officially recognised as the best teams in world football after picking up the Club of the Year awards at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. The two European powerhouses were rewarded for their dominant campaigns on the continental stage, cementing their status at the pinnacle of the modern game.
PSG secure Men's Club of the Year honours
Paris Saint-Germain have been named the Men’s Club of the Year following a historic season that saw them finally reach the mountaintop of European football. The French giants, who secured the Champions League trophy last term, were officially celebrated at the gala in Paris. The social media account for the Ballon d'Or confirmed the victory as the club fended off stiff competition from across the continent to take home the prestigious trophy. It marks a significant milestone for the Ligue 1 outfit, who have spent years chasing the ultimate prize in club football.
Ousmane Dembele, currently sidelined with an injury, was the man tasked with representing the club on stage. The winger, who missed PSG’s 2-0 victory over Lyon on the same evening, accepted the award on behalf of the entire organisation. Speaking to the audience, Dembele said: "On behalf of all the Paris St-Germain club, I would like to say thank you to the president and sporting director, all the staff and, of course, our coach, Luis Enrique. Our fans always support us, and always stand behind us. We have created an incredible club, and we always fight together side by side. We played against Bayern in the semi-final, which was incredible and which could have also won the Champions League."
Barcelona Femeni continue their era of dominance
In the women's category, there was little surprise as FC Barcelona Femeni were crowned the Women’s Club of the Year. The Catalan side has become the standard-bearer for the female game, combining technical brilliance with an unrelenting winning mentality. Their victory was a highlight of the evening, with the official announcement declaring FC Barcelona Femeni is the Women’s Club of the Year. The award reflects a season of near-perfection, as they continue to sweep aside all challengers both domestically in Spain and on the European stage under their consistent sporting model.
Club president Joan Laporta was present to accept the trophy, using his speech to highlight the collective effort required to maintain such high standards. Laporta told the crowd: "Thank you, France Football, for awarding us this prize for best women's club of the year. It is a great honor to receive this award. I want to thank everyone who is part of Barça's history. Everyone has worked very hard to achieve success. I'm thinking of the players and the coach, Pere Romeu. Also, our directors, Xavi Puig and Angel Ruidalbas. Thank you for your extraordinary work. I would like to thank the institutions that organize these competitions in which our players can showcase their talent: UEFA, the RFEF, and La Liga."
Future ambitions for the European champions
The ceremony served as a reminder of the shifting power dynamics in football, as both PSG and Barcelona look to build dynasties. While PSG celebrated a rare non-Spanish win in the men’s category, Barcelona’s leadership made it clear that their hunger for silverware remains unsated. The Blaugrana have successfully integrated young talent with experienced world-class stars, creating a sustainable path for success that Laporta believes will lead to even more trophies in the coming years. The president concluded his speech by thanking the supporters who have travelled across Europe to witness their team's rise to the very top.
Looking ahead, the expectations for both clubs remain sky-high as they aim to defend their respective titles. Laporta issued a rallying cry to the Barcelona faithful, stating: "I want to say a few words to the Barça fans, who are always by our side. This season we want to win La Liga three times in a row, we want to win the Champions League, and this season we will be contenders." With both clubs now officially recognised as the gold standard of the previous year, the pressure will be on to maintain their status when the knockout rounds of the current European campaigns begin to intensify later this season.