Ousmane Dembélé spoke at length to L’Equipe after winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The 28-year-old forward, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, was asked to reflect on this prestigious award, which came after several difficult years, particularly due to injuries. The interview touched on any doubts he may have had and what changed to help him reach this new level.
Dembélé: “I never doubted my football skills, not for a single second.”
Was the emotion you felt on stage at the Théâtre du Châtelet linked to past struggles, to doubts?
No, not really. At Barcelona, I suffered a lot of injuries; the more seasons passed, the more injuries I had… In 2019-2020, I only played five league matches (and four appearances in the Champions League)… But no, I didn’t doubt myself. I was certain that I would return to the pitch and that everything would be okay.
That’s part of life, everything can’t be rosy, we’re not living in a fairytale. It wasn’t easy, I learned a lot. At 28, I know my body, I know myself inside and out. The suffering was mainly physical, related to the injuries. But I never doubted my football skills, not for a single second. I’ve always loved it, I’ve always had that talent, so I didn’t doubt myself. I just needed my body to allow me to express my football.
Dembélé: “I’ve matured, I’ve also become much more professional”
And you also had to allow your body to express your football?
Exactly. Over time, I matured, I also became much more professional. I listened to the advice of those around me. Today, everything is going smoothly.
Do you regret not understanding this sooner?
No, I don’t regret anything. That’s just the way it is. I have no regrets, from the beginning of my career until today. I learned a lot, and that has helped me. When you have physical problems, it’s not easy to return to the highest level. But, as soon as your body responds and you listen to your body, you play regularly and you can express your talent. And in August, everything starts from scratch; it’s a new season. The Ballon d’Or is awarded for one season, not ten.
It’s good to see the honesty of a player who has just been named the best of the season. He could say that he was simply unlucky, except that he also knows that he didn’t always do his best. Dembélé could have been more serious. Which doesn’t mean that the French international was doing anything wrong.
But football at the highest level doesn’t forgive anything. At least, not if you want to achieve excellence over the long term. You need to make special efforts, make certain “sacrifices,” and pay close attention to what seem to be minor details. Especially in recent years, with football becoming ever more intense and demanding physically.
Dembélé might have been frustrated by the injuries and had some doubts, but not about his level of play. He has always had a special talent. Like Neymar or Marco Verratti, whose level has never been questioned. The frustration came with the recurring physical problems. The current Paris Saint-Germain number 10 has managed to break this vicious cycle. We hope it continues.
He is injured at the moment, but that can happen, even with the utmost professionalism. Especially during such a busy period for the Parisians. We are counting on the striker to return in top form.
