Ousmane Dembélé (28), the Paris Saint-Germain striker, spoke to GQ about his Ballon d’Or acceptance speech, a moment that moved the audience deeply. The French international revealed that he hadn’t prepared anything, letting emotion and years of sacrifice speak for themselves. This account sheds new light on his Ballon d’Or victory and his time in Paris.
“‘My memorable Ballon d’Or speech? It just came out like that. I hadn’t prepared anything special. I went with my feelings, and if it moved people, then all the better.’ ‘I think everyone was happy that I won that award after so much work and so many sacrifices. Hard work pays off — that’s good news for everyone.’ Ousmane Dembélé to GQ.”
In his interview with GQ, Ousmane Dembélé talks about his crowning moment the way you recount a moment in life: without filters, with the spontaneity that defines him. The Paris Saint-Germain winger says his speech — which went viral — came “from the heart,” as if he had been swept up by the moment. Nothing was written, yet everything sounded right: the weight of all the work put in, the sacrifices no one sees, and the feeling that football was finally giving back what it had taken.
Dembélé mostly describes a sentiment widely shared: that of a player who had long been under scrutiny, often judged too quickly, and who ultimately managed to write his own story. His Ballon d’Or — the result of a complete season and long-awaited consistency — symbolizes a deeply personal victory over doubt.
