Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha among winners at Globe Soccer Awards

While not as glamorous and recognised as the Ballon D’or, or FIFA’s The Best, the Globe Soccer Awards have in recent years gained increasing traction as being one of the biggest gala nights in the football calendar. Questions have long since been raised about the award’s organisation and accusations of internal bias have been laid at the feet of a ceremony that feels heavily sympathetic towards Cristiano Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes (both of whom were once again recipients of awards last night, as they are every year).

PSG dominate Global Soccer Awards

However, PSG will gladly accept yet another confirmation of their status at the very pinnacle of modern football, as Ousmane Dembélé was elected the best player of the year, Desiré Doué picked up an emerging player trophy and Vitinha winning the ‘Best Midfielder prize. Luis Campos, Luis Enrique and Nasser Al-Khalaïfi all also received accolades, for their roles as Sporting Director, Manager and Club President respectively.

This award ceremony means that Dembélé has now unanimously been voted the best player of the year, having swept up individual awards at the Ballon D’or, at the Best, and now here as well to complete a remarkable individual hat-trick.

Speaking as he received his trophy, the French winger highlighted the unusual path he has undertaken over the last few years: ‘I started my career exceptionally, especially in the first couple of years. But things became more difficult, especially with injuries. But that’s life, you have to keep going, and those injuries made me grow up and become more mature. I continued to work and I think this last season has been really perfect.’

Dembélé’s speech was far less emotional than his Ballon D’or reception speech in which he thanked his mother and some old friends, but it was still a reminder of the remarkable path the winger has taken: effectively going from an injury prone transfer flop who had never fulfilled his potential to the undisputed best player in the world in the space of just a few years.

Perhaps the most exciting thing for PSG is that Dembélé is still only 28 years old, and should have another few seasons of his prime left ahead of him for fans of the club, and of the French national team, to enjoy. Another player who French football fans will be excited about, Desiré Doué, won the emerging player trophy after a brilliant breakthrough year for Paris Saint-Germain last season, capped off with his remarkable brace on the biggest stage in the Champions League final.

Both Doué and Dembélé’s seasons so far have been severely hamstrung by injury so far, but both have returned in the last couple of weeks before the mid season winter break, with PSG fans hoping that their return will see the side push on over the second half of the season.