Olivier Giroud (38, striker for Lille) paid a heartfelt tribute to Ousmane Dembélé (28, winger for Paris Saint-Germain) in an interview with L’Équipe. The former France international praised the unpredictability and rare two-footed technical mastery of the PSG star, now a credible Ballon d’Or contender after a historic season in Paris.
Giroud: “He’s totally unpredictable.”
“What has always struck me about Ousmane is his unique ability to unbalance his direct opponent with body feints, changes of direction and tempo, and his speed of execution. He’s totally unpredictable, especially as he can shoot with both his right and left foot.
He’s a joker, a fun-loving guy, always smiling, always joking around, a great guy to have in the dressing room, and it’s a pleasure to see him reach this level.”
Giroud: “He’s always had the talent, but he needed the right season with the right club.”
Did You see him as a future Ballon d’Or winner early on?
“It’s hard to say. When I saw him with the France team, no, I wouldn’t necessarily have said ‘this guy’s a future Ballon d’Or.’ To win that, you need talent but also the right season to propel you into the spotlight. He’s always had the talent, but he needed the right year, the right club, and to win everything like he did, because the Ballon d’Or is always largely linked to collective success.”
Giroud didn’t just highlight Dembélé’s technical brilliance. The former France striker also emphasised his human qualities — invaluable in a dressing room. At 28, the PSG winger has become a unifying figure, always smiling and joking, able to ease the tension in high-pressure moments.
In a team aiming for the very top, such personalities are essential: they balance the rigor of daily work with a dose of lightness, allowing teammates to release pressure. In a club as scrutinised and criticised as PSG, Dembélé’s good humour is an invisible but vital asset. Beyond dribbles and goals, Giroud suggests, it’s also this positive mindset that makes Dembélé a legitimate Ballon d’Or candidate.
