'He Sent Me...': Paris Saint-Germain Star Ousmane Dembele Reveals Lionel Messi's Message After His Maiden Ballon d’Or Win

Once considered as a wasted talent by many critics, France and Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé shut his detractors down by winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or. Things were not as good as they are now for Dembélé. The PSG star had to shed the baggage of being called unprofessional as he led Paris Saint-Germain to a treble win. Dembélé raced past Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and his own teammate Vitinha to win the prestigious statuette.

Ousmane Dembélé Reveals Leo Messi's Wishes For Him

Dembélé defeated Barcelona's Lamine Yamal by over 300 votes and became PSG's second-ever recipient of the prestigious prize. Dembélé topped the chart with 1,380 points as compared to Lamine Yamal's 1,059. Interestingly, a total of five Paris Saint-Germain players entered the Top 10, which is a testament to the strong season that PSG had.

PSG star Ousmane Dembélé recently came forward and revealed that Messi wished him first. "Messi congratulated me first, he sent me a message directly. Xavi and Luis Suárez also sent me their congratulations. They were all very happy for me," the Ballon d'Or 2025 winner said. In the 2024/25 season, Dembélé delivered 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 official matches. In his 15 UEFA Champions League appearances, he scored 8 goals and 6 assists.

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"It’s incredible to win a trophy like this. I worked for the team to help win PSG’s first Champions League. To then be rewarded with an individual trophy like the Ballon d’Or is truly exceptional," said the PSG star.

Here's A Look At Dembélé's Career So Far

Ousmane Dembélé, who was born on May 15, 1997, started playing football at a very young age and joined local club Évreux FC before moving to Stade Rennais youth academy in 2010. He made his debut at the senior level while playing for Rennes in 2015 and scored a hat-trick against Nantes in Ligue 1.

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The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner later moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2016 and had a stellar season with 10 goals and 21 assists. The Frenchman was reportedly signed for €145 million by Barcelona in 2017, and it made him one of the most expensive transfers in Barcelona football history. He did face a very tough time in the club before making his move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.