How Ousmane Dembele Went From PlayStation Nights to Winning Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembele rises from PSG benching to Ballon d’Or glory. From a disciplined false-nine breakthrough to treble-winning heroics, his journey blends talent, resilience, and perfect timing under Luis Enrique’s guidance.

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Ousmane Dembele Wins Ballon d'Or 2025

Ousmane Dembele’s journey to the Ballon d’Or is a story of talent, discipline, and timing. Once left behind by PSG manager Luis Enrique after a clash, the French forward transformed a moment of exclusion into the spark that would ignite a historic season. From scoring decisive goals in the Champions League to leading PSG to a treble, Dembele’s rise blends resilience, brilliance, and the perfect storm of opportunity.

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The Arsenal Omission That Sparked a Revolution

Nearly a year ago, PSG faced Arsenal in the Champions League—but not every star traveled. Ousmane Dembele stayed behind in Paris after a clash with manager Luis Enrique. The decision was stark but simple: players must respect the team’s expectations to earn their place.

"If someone doesn't comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play," Enrique explained upon arriving in London. "I am here to create a team and in the future that might include Ousmane Dembele, just to be clear."

For Dembele, being left out wasn’t a setback—it was a lesson.

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Rebirth as the False Nine

The “future” Enrique mentioned soon became reality. Dembele was repositioned as a false nine, a central role that unlocked his full potential. In the semi-final first leg against Arsenal the following April, he scored the only goal at the Emirates Stadium, signaling a transformed player and a resurgent PSG.

Over the 2024-25 season, Dembele amassed 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 matches, helping PSG achieve a historic treble, including their first-ever Champions League trophy. Following the 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in Munich, Enrique lauded his protégé, despite Dembele not scoring in the match:

"I'd give the Ballon d'Or to Mr Ousmane Dembele," Enrique said. "The way he defended, only that can be worth the Ballon d'Or. This is how you lead a team—goals, titles, leadership, defending, how he was pressing… Ousmane is my Ballon d'Or. No doubts at all."

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From Vernon to the World Stage

Born in Vernon, Normandy, to a Mauritanian-Senegalese mother and Malian father, Dembele’s journey has spanned continents. He started at Rennes, moved to Borussia Dortmund at 19, and quickly attracted global attention. A year later, Barcelona snapped him up for £135.5 million, making him the world’s second-most expensive player.

Xavi once remarked, "when used properly, Dembele could be the best player in the world." Yet injuries and inconsistent discipline hindered him at the Camp Nou. By 2023, he transferred to PSG for £43.5 million—a move fueled by his French roots, his friendship with Kylian Mbappe, and PSG’s vision of building a French core.

Mbappe’s 2024 departure cleared the stage for Dembele to emerge as the team’s centerpiece.

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Polishing Raw Talent

Football analyst Julien Laurens believes Enrique and PSG polished Dembele’s raw brilliance. "When Enrique left him at home for the Arsenal game, it benefited Ousmane because he realised and started to understand what Enrique wanted and expected from him. That was the first turning point of the season because it was a power flex by Enrique but also a catalyst for Dembele," Laurens was quoted as saying in a DailyMail report.

The shift from winger to No. 9 was equally transformative. "A lot of people who worked with him when he was young, including one of the first coaches he had at Rennes in Rolland Courbis, thought his best position was as a nine or ten," Laurens notes. "For Enrique to move him centrally and build the team around him was a big turning point—not just for Dembele but for the whole of PSG."

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A Dual-Footed Prodigy

Even as a teenager, Dembele demonstrated a rare adaptability. Asked whether he was right- or left-footed, he replied, "Hmm, left." When questioned why he took penalties with his right, he said, "Because I shoot better with my right." His decisive penalty past Alisson in the Champions League remains a signature moment, blending instinct and intelligence.

Tuchel, reflecting on Dembele’s early promise, said, "You rarely see a talent like him. That season at Dortmund was incredible, and that's why Barcelona spent so much. In the end, it wasn't the right move for him but you can't turn down Barcelona and playing with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at the Camp Nou."

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Discipline Off the Pitch

Dembele’s growth hasn’t been limited to football. At Barcelona, he became one of the club’s most-fined players and endured 14 muscle injuries, spending 784 days sidelined. In recent years, he has embraced the details—nutritionists, personal physios, and a structured routine.

"For a long time, Ousmane was so good that he didn't need to focus on anything but playing football. He knew he could play PlayStation until 2am and still perform the next day," a source close to him was quoted as saying in the report. 

"It was when things started to get difficult at Barcelona that he realised he wasn't living the life of a professional player. Getting married in 2021 and becoming a dad was a big thing as it made him more responsible, and he began to see that discipline off the pitch was crucial to his success."

Karim Benzema, the last French Ballon d’Or winner, advised him on the importance of off-pitch discipline—a lesson Dembele has taken to heart.

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The Perfect Storm at PSG

Journalist Ben Lyttleton describes Dembele’s rise as a "perfect storm"—the convergence of Enrique’s guidance, Mbappe’s exit, and PSG’s tactical overhaul. Laurens adds, "It is a reward too for the idea that the collective is first. Like Rodri with Man City last year, Dembele magnifies the collective of PSG."

Now, Dembele joins a distinguished lineage of French winners, becoming the sixth Frenchman to claim the Ballon d’Or after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean Pierre-Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema.

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Belief Realized

For years, critics questioned whether Dembele would fulfill his promise. From World Cup disappointments to repeated injuries, the doubts were many. Yet his Instagram bio says it all: "Believe." And he did.

Paris now celebrates its new hero. Enrique can be heard singing: "Ousmane, Ballon d'Or." From a controversial omission to football’s ultimate individual prize, Dembele’s journey is a testament to talent, resilience, and belief—a true renaissance story.