Ousmane Dembele discussed his 2025 Ballon d’Or win, stressing his focus on team objectives over individual accolades and acknowledging his formative years at Barcelona.
Frenchman Ousmane Dembele became visibly emotional as he paid tribute to his mother upon receiving the 2025 Ballon d’Or. He confessed the award “was never an objective” in his career but described it as “something exceptional”. Dembele stated: “I have always played for the team; the Ballon d’Or has never been an objective, but now that I have it, it is something exceptional.” The 28-year-old PSG player delivered his speech at the Chatelet Theatre gala.
Dembele attributed his individual success to collective achievements, saying: “I have worked hard for the team, to be able to win this first Champions League, the League and the Cup. To crown it with an individual trophy is very special. I am very happy. I am convinced that the collective trophies have led to this.” He thanked his current club, teammates, president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and coach Luis Enrique, describing them as “father figures”, for their confidence and support.
He also acknowledged his former clubs, particularly Barcelona, which he called “the club he dreamed of playing for”. “I have spent seven years there and I have learned a lot alongside players like Iniesta or Messi. All that learning leads me to here,” he explained. Dembele further extended his gratitude to the France national team and manager Didier Deschamps, who he credited for maintaining faith in him during challenging periods and for his pledge to “win the World Cup in his last year”.
The most poignant moments came when Dembele spoke of his hometown, Evreux, and his mother, Fatima, who raised him and his four younger siblings alone. Visibly moved, he said, “She is always there for me.” His mother joined him on stage to a standing ovation from the audience, who had been chanting his name even before Ronaldinho announced him as the winner, ahead of Spain’s Lamine Yamal.
