On Saturday, in the 2025-2026 Champions League final, Paris Saint-Germain will face Arsenal at the Puskas Arena in Budapest (kick-off at 6 p.m., CET). On the eve of this match, PSG striker Ousmane Dembélé (29 years old) answered several questions at a press conference.
Dembélé: “It wasn’t easy at the beginning, but he deserved to win the Premier League and be in the Champions League final.”
What are your thoughts on tomorrow’s match? Is it a clash of styles?
Arsenal is a very good team, as we saw with their Premier League title. They also finished top of their Champions League group stage. They deserve to be there; they’re good in all areas. In attack and defense, on set pieces. They have very good players and a very good coach, who has done a tremendous job. It wasn’t easy at the beginning, but he deserved to win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final.
Dembélé: “That’s all I think about. Individual trophies get a lot of attention, but they come second.”
How much has the Ballon d’Or changed your ambitions to go further?
It hasn’t really changed the way I am or the way I play. I have a lot more responsibility since I arrived at PSG. I try to be good on the pitch, in big games as well as small ones. I still have the same desire, the hunger to win trophies with this club, this staff, and the squad. That’s all I think about. Individual trophies get a lot of attention, but they come second. The most important thing is to win with PSG and make all these fans happy.
Have you been waiting for this match for a year? Can last year’s victory help?
We always want to play in the Champions League final. The first title felt amazing, it was a historic night. But no, it’s all starting from scratch. We want to win trophies. We have a young group with a lot of ambition. We don’t want to stop here. Winning tomorrow is important. It would be historic. But we’re staying focused, we know we’re up against a good team. We’re all going for the trophy.
How are you? Were you worried about missing the final?
No, I wasn’t worried, I stopped playing beforehand. I had 10-15 days to prepare. The season hasn’t been easy, but the staff managed very well despite the lack of preparation. We’re preparing calmly, and we hope everything goes well tomorrow.
Dembélé: “If we want to be great players, we have to win these kinds of trophies several times. We’re hungry.”
How do you prepare for the mindset after chasing the Champions League and now defending the title?
We’re enjoying every moment. We’re very focused. We have a young group, an incredible staff, incredible players who are hungry for trophies. We want to win the Champions League, the league, the cup… If we want to be great players, we have to win these kinds of trophies several times. We’re hungry.
Is Luis Enrique the greatest coach of your career? The one with the most impact? Do you feel you’ve progressed more with or without the ball?
I think he’s one of the best I’ve had in my career. He’s helped me progress a lot, with and without the ball. It’s the tactical things he gives me. With age, you gain experience. With Luis Enrique and other coaches. There are also some incredible players, so it’s a bit easier.
Dembélé: “The staff managed the players very well.”
Do you have incredible support from the fans?
It’s huge, we saw all the excitement surrounding the final. Even last season with the first title. It gives us confidence, we’re happy they’re there. They also expect a lot from us. We hope to make them happy.
A lot of matches these last two seasons, how are you feeling? What have you changed to be in shape?
It’s been a unique season. We played a huge number of matches last year, we finished in mid-July, I think. Then we played non-stop. We tried to be ready. The coach also gave us days off to rest and disconnect. After that, it’s competition, there are a lot of matches. The staff managed the players very well. I like it when there are a lot of matches, it’s a good sign. A final is incredible. Everything was handled very well.
