Paris was painted in gold on Monday evening as Ousmane Dembele claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or, turning into solely the sixth Frenchman in historical past to safe soccer’s most prestigious particular person honor. But, past the glitz of the Theatre du Chatelet ceremony, what stole the headlines was not simply the trophy itself, however the wave of congratulatory messages that poured in from legends throughout the soccer world. Amongst them had been Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, and Luis Suarez—figures who outlined an period at Barcelona. However of all of the phrases despatched to him that evening, one message touched Dembele extra deeply than the remainder.
The Ballon d’Or vote itself was a landslide. Dembele completed first with 1,380 votes, forward of Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal, who got here second, and PSG teammate Vitinha, who rounded out the rostrum. His victory margin of 321 factors confirmed simply how dominant his season had been. The Frenchman described the award as a “dream come true” and used his acceptance speech to thank each Barcelona and PSG for shaping him into the participant he’s at the moment.
Within the hours after lifting the distinguished award, the Frenchman was flooded with admiration from each previous and current teammates. In an unique with France Soccer, the PSG ahead defined: “The message that actually stood out to me? It was from Lionel Messi. He despatched me a direct message.
“There was Xavi Hernandez [his former coach at Barcelona], and quite a lot of different Barca alumni. Luis Suarez… they had been completely satisfied for me. And the PSG guys? All of them messaged me—Achraf [Hakimi], the coach [Luis Enrique], Luis Campos, everybody“, he added.
Ousmane Dembele celebrates with Lionel Messi as he scores a aim through the UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Chelsea FC on March 14, 2018.
It was a second that highlighted how far the 28-year-old star had come, from the damage setbacks that haunted his days at Barcelona to lastly standing on the prime of the world. For a participant as soon as seen as unfulfilled potential, to obtain speedy reward from the person he nonetheless calls the “best of all time” made the victory even sweeter.
Messi’s contact of sophistication
Essentially the most highly effective alternate got here from the Argentine legend himself. Dembele revealed that Messi was the very first to ship him a private congratulations. On Instagram, Messi had already left a heartfelt public remark: “What nice achievement! Congratulations, I’m so completely satisfied for you. You really deserve it.”
For Dembele, the gesture went far past phrases on a display screen. It was a reminder of the bond they constructed throughout their shared years in Barcelona’s dressing room from 2017 to 2021. These seasons noticed them win two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, and a Spanish Tremendous Cup, but additionally endure challenges as Dembele battled recurring accidents.
Earlier this 12 months, the French ahead admitted simply how essential Messi’s steering had been: “He instructed me to be severe if I wished to attain my desires. After that, I began watching him intently and studying from the whole lot he did on the pitch.” That recommendation would in the end lay the inspiration for Dembele’s rise to this career-defining second.
