Eye on the prize: Ousmane Dembele rejoices in Ballon d’Or glory

Paris: One moment defined Paris St Germain's first Champions League triumph amidst the noise of Munich’s Allianz Arena, -- Ousmane Dembele's eyes fixed on Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

The French forward’s stare was more than intimidation, it was the symbol of a player transformed.

That image, Dembele glaring at Sommer before another hurried clearance, summed up the determination that helped produce a 5-0 rout and delivered PSG’s long-awaited European triumph.

It followed an individual campaign by Dembele that put the 28-year-old among the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or and he picked up the coveted award at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.

Since his 2023 arrival from Barcelona, Dembele has been reimagined under Luis Enrique, evolving from a mercurial winger into a complete forward. The Spanish coach gradually pushed the Frenchman into central positions and gave him licence to roam.

“The coach gives me a lot of freedom on the pitch,” Dembele said. “I’m not forced to remain at the point of the attack like a number nine. I just try to create space and to cause a bit of chaos in midfield.”

Luis Enrique’s assessment was emphatic after Dembele struck back-to-back hat-tricks last season.

“Ousmane can become the player he wants to be,” he said. “If he remains confident in front of goal, he has no equal. He can score in any position, even with his head. He’s a phenomenal player.”

That freedom has translated into the most productive campaign of Dembele's career.

He finished the 2024-25 season with 35 goals and 14 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions with the capital club, including 21 Ligue 1 goals to finish top scorer. He provided two assists in the Champions League final alone.

Beyond goals, his defensive work has been a hallmark.

Luis Enrique believes Dembele deserves the Ballon d'Or

In Munich, Dembele produced more sprints than any other PSG player, according to UEFA’s performance data, leading the press that unsettled Inter’s back line from the opening whistle.

For Luis Enrique, those runs mattered as much as the goals.

“I sincerely believe he deserves the Ballon d’Or,” the coach said. “Not just for the titles he won or the goals he scored, but for his pressing ... He’s done it all season, but exceptionally in this (Champions League) final.”

Dembele’s ball-carrying and delicate turns have long been a trademark, his two-footed dribbling leaving defenders disoriented. But the 2025 version added ruthlessness in front of goal and a willingness to set the tone without the ball.

“There is a consistency that makes the team better,” Luis Enrique said in February. “He was already good last season but in 2025 he is even better. You can see his teammates looking for him and finding him. He has an impeccable attitude.”

Such words mark a stark change from the perception of Dembele two years ago, when injuries and inconsistency meant his potential often seemed only partly fulfilled. At PSG, he has become not only decisive but reliable.

France has produced Ballon d’Or winners before — Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema in 2022. For much of the last decade the assumption was that Kylian Mbappe would be next.

Yet as PSG closed their season of domestic dominance and European conquest, the conversation shifted.

“I’d give the Ballon d’Or to Mr Ousmane Dembele,” Luis Enrique said after the final. “The way he defended (against Inter)... only that can be worth the Ballon d’Or. This is how you lead a team.”

Last season has redrawn Dembele’s legacy. His dribbling still dazzles, but now it is joined by goals, assists and an appetite for pressing that even his coach calls exemplary.

The stare at Sommer in Munich captured it all: a player once labelled fragile now the embodiment of PSG’s ferocity. From unfulfilled promise to fully realised talent, Dembele has become the symbol of a team — and France’s latest Ballon d’Or winner.