Ousmane Dembélé, 28-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, has won the 2025 Onze d’Or. He then gave a lengthy interview to Onze Mondial, where he was asked about being seen as a potential “role model.”
Dembélé: “You can’t always imitate your favourite players”
“Many young people identify with you, see you as an example and love to watch your videos. Are you aware of that?”
“I’m a little aware of it, especially in my hometown of Évreux, because I get feedback from people around me. Outside of that, I’m not so sure. But of course, it makes me happy. As I often say, though, everyone has their own career, their own destiny. You can’t always imitate your favourite players — otherwise everyone would want to be Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Yes, we can be sources of inspiration. But you must never forget: everyone has their own destiny.”
“You still have an important role because many young people are fans of you. That’s a reality you can’t deny, right?”
“Of course. We always try to set an example, give our all every day and share emotions and positive energy with everyone who watches us.”
Being seen as a role model can be gratifying, and Dembélé embraces this image. He knows eyes are on him given his status at PSG and in the French national team. There’s a duty of setting an example, because players can influence others — especially young people and children.
Yet the 28-year-old attacker doesn’t forget a key point: everyone has to build themselves up as a player and as a person. You shouldn’t lose yourself by trying to copy someone else, even if inspiration is natural. It’s a strong message from PSG’s No.10, confirming his positive mindset. It’s refreshing to see this kind of mentality from a player shining at the top level.
