Desire Doue steals spotlight from Lamine Yamal to claim Champions League Young Player Award

Desire Doue steals spotlight from Lamine Yamal to claim Champions League Young Player Award

In a Champions League season brimming with rising stars, it was Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue who took top honors, edging out Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal to be named UEFA's Young Player of the Season.

The 19-year-old French winger saved his best for last, delivering a show-stopping performance in PSG's 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the final. Doue not only set up Achraf Hakimi's opening goal but went on to score twice himself, capping a campaign that announced his arrival on football's biggest stage.

Both Doue and Yamal earned spots in UEFA's Team of the Season - an acknowledgment of the elite company they now keep in global football's next generation.

But this season belonged to PSG, who not only lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time in club history but dominated UEFA's all-star list with a staggering seven players selected. In contrast, Inter, humbled in the final, had just one name make the cut: defender Alessandro Bastoni.

If Doue's breakout was the story of youth rising, then Ousmane Dembele's campaign was a masterclass in redemption. The 28-year-old PSG forward, once benched for disciplinary issues earlier in the tournament, came roaring back to claim UEFA's Player of the Season award.

Shifting into a central role, Dembele racked up eight goals en route to PSG's title. While he didn't score in the final, his all-around brilliance didn't go unnoticed.

"I would give the Ballon d'Or to Mr. Ousmane Dembele," manager Luis Enrique declared post-match. "The way he defended tonight, just that alone could be worth the Ballon d'Or. That's how you lead a team."

As the curtain falls on a historic Champions League season, it's clear: PSG are no longer chasing greatness - they're living it. And in Doue and Dembele, they may have found the duo to keep them there.

READ MORE: David Beckham slams Man Utd's off-field behavior on Asia tour as 'not acceptable'