Ousmane Dembélé, PSG forward and France star, revealed the exact moment he learned he had won the 2025 Ballon d'Or awarded by France Football.
In an interview with GQ, Dembélé said, "Trust me, my personality won't change after winning the Ballon d'Or; I’ll stay as I am."
He quipped, "I hadn’t thought about my reaction if I hadn’t won, because I knew I would win."
When did he learn?
Asked when he learned the news, the French winger replied: "When Ronaldinho opened the envelope during the ceremony."
He added that after the Champions League final, he told himself, "No, this win won’t guarantee the prize," but after PSG's European Super Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur he was sure.
Impact, leadership and recovery
Speaking about his emotional moment at the Ballon d'Or, Dembélé said it was spontaneous; he had no prepared speech, and he was moved by the reactions from many people, including some unlikely viewers.
"Nothing will change in my personality; of course opinions may shift, but I will stay calm," he stated.
On what changed for him in 2025, at 28 he said he had to be a role model. He discussed with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, sporting director Luis Campos and coach Luis Enriqué, and was told to be a locker-room leader.
He described his approach last season: running hard, contributing defensively, and understanding that if he didn’t, someone else would take his place. He credited the right mindset for winning domestic and continental titles.
Asked about what Luis Enriqué imparted to PSG, Dembélé replied that he instilled a new mentality for him and the whole squad, urging training as if every session were a match, and setting an example for both older and younger players.
He ended: "Our future goals are to win all titles with PSG; I hope to lift the Champions League and the World Cup with France in 2026."
Meanwhile, Dembélé, 26, is racing against time to return to action after a leg muscle injury sustained in the Bayern Munich match on November 4, which the Bavarians won 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League.
The injury sidelined him from the France squad this month as the Blues beat Ukraine and Azerbaijan to seal qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
He had injury troubles early in the 2025-26 season; having recently recovered from a leg issue, he trained with the group ahead of last Saturday's Le Havre game, but was not deemed 100% match-fit for the 3-0 win.
L'Équipe reported that Dembélé is well again, yet his participation against Tottenham in the upcoming Champions League fixture remains under scrutiny, with a decision likely after today's training session following a rest day for players after the Le Havre win.
In the end, L'Équipe said Dembélé is eager to play against Tottenham.
Punchline 1: The Ballon d'Or finally filed for a passport—it’s about to travel more than its owner.
Punchline 2: With that level of confidence, even the trophy might start asking for autographs.
