Lionel Messi-inspired Ousmane Dembele says Ballon d'Or is ‘Holy Grail of football’ as PSG star aims to join 'exceptional' list of legends
Updated 27/08/2025 at 07:41 GMT+1
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Ousmane Dembele enjoyed an all-conquering campaign with Paris Saint-Germain last term, and is the favourite to win what is largely considered to be the biggest individual prize in football. Dembele is joined by eight of his Paris Saint-Germain team-mates in the list of 30 nominees for the award, and the winner will be confirmed on Monday, September 22 at a ceremony in Paris.
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Ousmane Dembele believes the Ballon d’Or is the "Holy Grail of football", with the Frenchman hotly tipped to win the award for the first time.
Dembele has enjoyed a stellar past 12 months after scoring 35 goals and registering 16 assists in a 2024/25 campaign which yielded four trophies, including the Ligue 1 title and the UEFA Champions League.
More silverware followed earlier this month with the UEFA Super Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur, and Paris Saint Germain’s excellent achievements have been recognised with a record-breaking nine players on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.
Dembele is joined alongside Desire Doue, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha.
But Dembele is the man to beat, according to the bookmakers' odds, and that is a prospect which does not faze the 28-year-old.
He said in an interview with FourFourTwo: "It’s normal to be considered a favourite. The Ballon d’Or is the Holy Grail of football. When you look at the legends who have won it, it’s exceptional."
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He continued: "People would shout ‘Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or!’ when they saw me. But Luis Enrique, the staff and the squad stayed focused on the team, especially the Champions League final.
"After a season like this, with goals, assists and four titles, it’s only natural to be among the favourites."
Dembele explained how Lionel Messi, the eight-time winner of the France Football prize, helped him to reach new levels in the game.
He played alongside the Argentina captain for four seasons at Barcelona, until Messi joined PSG himself in 2021.
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"I had a very good relationship with Messi from the very first day," he added to FourFourTwo.
"My locker was right next to his, and he gave a lot of advice to me. He was someone who instinctively knew what you wanted.
"He told me that I’d have to be serious if I wanted to achieve my dreams – after that, I watched and learned from what he did on the pitch."
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