Ousmane Dembele Crowned 2025 Ballon d’Or Winner, Messi Reacts with Love

Ousmane Dembele: Ousmane Dembélé has reached the pinnacle of world football. The French forward’s stunning season with Paris Saint-Germain saw him lift the 2025 Ballon d’Or, edging out young sensation Lamine Yamal. But what stood out just as much as the trophy was the heartfelt message from his former Barcelona teammate, Lionel Messi.

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Table of Contents

Messi, who shared four seasons at Barcelona with Dembélé between 2017 and 2021, congratulated his old friend in simple but warm words.

“Great Ous!!! Congratulations, I’m so happy for you. You deserve it,” — Lionel Messi

Dembele’s Journey to the Top

Dembélé’s rise to the Ballon d’Or is a story of perseverance and talent. He admitted that Messi’s mentorship at Barcelona helped shape him into the player he is today.

In his acceptance speech, he paid tribute to his career path and those who influenced him:

“Thank you to all the clubs I’ve played for: Stade Rennes, Borussia Dortmund, and the club I always dreamed of playing for, Barcelona. I learned so much there, playing alongside players like Messi and Iniesta. It was a great learning experience. I am so happy,” — Ousmane Dembélé

is more than goals and trophies — it is about respect, growth, and lasting bonds.

Key Highlights of Dembélé’s 2025 Season:

Led PSG to a dominant domestic and European campaign.
Outshone rising stars, including Lamine Yamal.
Scored decisive goals in the Champions League and Club World Cup.
Became the first Frenchman since Zidane to win the Ballon d’Or.

Ballon d’Or 2025 — Top Finishers

Position	Player	Club	Nation
1st	Ousmane Dembélé	Paris Saint-Germain	France
2nd	Lamine Yamal	FC Barcelona	Spain
3rd	Erling Haaland	Manchester City	Norway
4th	Kylian Mbappé	Real Madrid	France

The Messi–Dembélé Bond

The bond between the two stars remains strong, even years after Messi departs from Barcelona. During the FIFA Club World Cup in June 2025, PSG crushed Inter Miami 4-0, but the moment that grabbed headlines came afterwards.

Dembélé shared his admiration again:

“Great to see you again, @leomessi — the greatest of all time. Hopefully you keep making history with Inter Miami like you did in this Club World Cup,” — Ousmane Dembélé

Conclusion:

Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or triumph is not only about his breakthrough season but also about the journey, mentors, and friendships that shaped him. Messi’s simple but heartfelt message showed that football is more than goals and trophies — it is about respect, growth, and lasting bonds.

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Khurshid Anwar

I am a computer science trainer, motivator, blogger, and sports enthusiast. Apart from academic activities, I'm a very passionate reader and writer on various subjects like technology, Sports, and finance.