2025-08-30 11:31:02
Ousmane Dembele has described the Ballon d’Or as the “Holy Grail” of football.
The PSG forward is the favourite to win the prestigious individual prize next month after an extraordinary season with the French club and would love to add his name to an illustrious list of players who have claimed the award previously.
Dembele told FourFourTwo magazine: “For an individual trophy, there’s nothing better for a footballer.
“It’s the Holy Grail of football. When you see all the legends who have won it, it’s exceptional.”
The French international revealed how the PSG coaching staff spurred him on with shouts of “Ballon d’Or” in the lead-up to the Champions League final win over Inter Milan in May.
Dembele recalled: “People would see me and call out my name, shouting ‘Ballon d’Or, Ballon d’Or!’
“But to be honest, Luis Enrique, the staff and all the players were really focused on the team – especially on the Champions League final.”
Dembele spent six years at Barcelona before joining PSG in 2023 and recalled how he learned a lot playing alongside the legendary Lionel Messi at the Catalan club.
He said: “I had a very good relationship with Messi from the very first day.
“My locker was right next to his, and he gave a lot of advice to me. He was someone who instinctively knew what you wanted.
“He told me that I’d have to be serious if I wanted to achieve my dreams – after that, I watched and learned from what he did on the pitch.”
Dembele added: “Whether he played as a number 10 or number nine, his positioning was exceptional, the way he seemed to make himself invisible on the pitch. Sometimes you don’t seem to see him for about four or five minutes, then as soon as he gets the ball, he instinctively knows what to do.”
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