PSG has finally cracked the code in European football
Na noite de terça-feira, em Doha, o futebol europeu assistiu a uma transferência simbólica de poder: Ousmane Dembelé recebeu o prémio FIFA The Best, coroando uma época em que o Paris Saint-Germain conquistou pela primeira vez a Liga dos Campeões e se afirmou como a nova força dominante do continente. A distinção individual do avançado francês não existe isolada — é o reflexo de um coletivo que funcionou com uma coerência raramente vista, e que arrastou consigo dois jogadores portugueses, Nuno Mendes e Vitinha, para o onze do ano da FIFA. O futebol, na sua longa memória, regista este momento não apenas como o reconhecimento de um jogador, mas como o anúncio de uma nova era.
- Dembelé torna-se o melhor jogador do mundo segundo a FIFA, sucedendo a Vinícius Júnior e juntando-se a um grupo restrito que inclui Messi e Ronaldo no topo da história individual do desporto.
- O PSG, durante décadas associado à promessa por cumprir, chegou finalmente ao cume europeu — e a cerimónia de Doha funcionou como uma confirmação coletiva dessa transformação.
- Quatro jogadores parisienses no onze do ano — Donnarumma, Hakimi, Pacho e Dembelé — revelam que a conquista da Champions não foi acidente, mas expressão de uma superioridade construída.
- Portugal marca presença dupla nas distinções de elite: Nuno Mendes e Vitinha, ambos com menos de 26 anos, entram pela primeira vez no onze do ano, somando ao título europeu de clubes o da Liga das Nações.
- O onze do ano traça o mapa do poder no futebol continental — PSG lidera, mas Palmer, Bellingham, Van Dijk, Pedri e Lamine Yamal lembram que a concorrência permanece viva e plural.
Ousmane Dembelé recebeu esta terça-feira, em Doha, o prémio FIFA The Best de melhor jogador do mundo, consolidando uma época histórica em que foi o motor do primeiro título do Paris Saint-Germain na Liga dos Campeões. O avançado francês, que já tinha conquistado o Ballon d'Or em setembro, sucede a Vinícius Júnior e entra para uma lista que tem Lionel Messi no topo, com oito distinções, e Cristiano Ronaldo em segundo, com cinco.
A grandeza desta época não se esgotou num único nome. O PSG colocou quatro jogadores no onze do ano da FIFA — Donnarumma, Hakimi, Pacho e o próprio Dembelé —, retrato fiel de como o clube parisiense dominou a competição europeia de forma sistemática e não circunstancial. A conquista da Champions foi construída sobre coerência tática, talento jovem e experiência consolidada.
Portugal teve razões para celebrar em Doha. Nuno Mendes, lateral-esquerdo de 23 anos, e Vitinha, médio de 25, foram incluídos pela primeira vez no onze do ano, reconhecimento que chegou depois de uma época em que ambos contribuíram para o título europeu do PSG e para a conquista da Liga das Nações por Portugal. Dois jogadores, dois troféus, uma geração que chegou à elite.
O onze completo da FIFA espelha o equilíbrio de forças no futebol continental: Cole Palmer representou o Chelsea campeão do mundo de clubes, Jude Bellingham o Real Madrid, Virgil van Dijk o Liverpool, e Pedri com Lamine Yamal o ressurgimento do Barcelona. O que fica desta cerimónia é menos a soma dos prémios e mais a sensação de que o PSG deixou de ser um projeto em construção para se tornar, finalmente, numa potência estabelecida.
Ousmane Dembelé stood at the pinnacle of world football on Tuesday evening in Doha, collecting the FIFA Best Player award—a recognition that capped one of the most remarkable seasons in recent memory. The French forward, who had already claimed the Ballon d'Or in September, was the driving force behind Paris Saint-Germain's historic first Champions League title, a triumph that reshaped the landscape of European club football and elevated the Parisian side into a new category of continental dominance.
Dembelé's award marks a changing of the guard at the sport's highest individual honor. He succeeds Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid, continuing a pattern of recognition for players who have delivered at the moment it matters most. The broader context of individual accolades tells its own story: Lionel Messi leads the all-time count with eight such awards, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. Dembelé now joins a rarefied group of players deemed the world's best in a given year.
What made this season distinctive, however, was not merely one player's excellence but the emergence of an entire squad operating at an elite level. PSG's Champions League victory brought with it a wave of recognition for multiple contributors. Four players from the Parisian club appeared in the FIFA team of the year—Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, Achraf Hakimi at right back, Pacho in central defense, and Dembelé in attack. This concentration of talent reflected the reality of how thoroughly PSG had dominated European competition.
Portugal's presence in these year-end honors underscored the country's growing influence at the continent's top clubs. Nuno Mendes, the 23-year-old left back, and Vitinha, the 25-year-old midfielder, both earned places in the team of the year—their first inclusion in these prestigious selections. Both had been instrumental in PSG's European success and had also contributed to Portugal's Nations League triumph, adding another layer of achievement to their seasons. The recognition marked a significant moment for Portuguese football, with two of its players recognized among the world's elite at the same ceremony.
The team of the year itself read as a map of European football's current power structure. Beyond PSG's four representatives, Cole Palmer appeared as Chelsea's world club champion, Jude Bellingham represented Real Madrid's midfield, and Virgil van Dijk anchored Liverpool's defense. Barcelona contributed two of its brightest young talents: Pedri and Lamine Yamal, both Spanish, both central to the club's resurgence. The selection reflected not just individual brilliance but the clubs best positioned to compete at the highest level.
What emerges from these awards is a picture of PSG's transformation from a wealthy but sometimes unfulfilled project into a genuine continental power. The club's first Champions League title was not a fluke born of financial advantage alone—it was built on tactical coherence, the development of young talent like Vitinha and Mendes, and the acquisition of proven performers like Dembelé. The concentration of awards in their favor suggests that this success may not be a one-year phenomenon but the beginning of a new era of French dominance in European football.
Citações Notáveis
Dembelé was one of the preponderant elements in the season that culminated in PSG's first Champions League conquest— SIC Notícias reporting on the award ceremony
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Dembelé's award feel like it matters beyond just one player's achievement?
Because it signals that PSG has finally cracked the code in Europe. For years they had the money and the names but couldn't finish the job. This season they did, and now four of their players are in the team of the year. That's not luck—that's a system working.
And the Portuguese players—Mendes and Vitinha—how significant is their inclusion?
It's a breakthrough moment. These aren't aging veterans getting a farewell nod. They're young men in their mid-twenties who are now recognized as among the world's best at their positions. They won the Champions League and the Nations League in the same year. Portugal doesn't get that kind of representation often.
Does this award tell us anything about where European football is heading?
It tells us that PSG is no longer an outlier. They're the template now. Four players in the team of the year from one club—that's the kind of concentration you see from dynasties. Barcelona had it, Real Madrid had it. Now it's PSG's turn.
What about Dembelé specifically? Why him and not someone else?
He was the catalyst. You can have all the talent in the world, but someone has to deliver in the moments that define a season. Dembelé did that in the Champions League. The Ballon d'Or in September was recognition of his form. This award is recognition that he sustained it when it mattered most.
Is there a risk that this concentration of talent at one club becomes unsustainable?
Always. But that's a question for next season. Right now, PSG has built something that works. Whether they can maintain it is a different conversation entirely.