After an inconsistent first season at PSG last year, mostly due to a completely new change of team and system, Ousmane Dembélé has had an incredible 2024/25 campaign and has fully exceeded expectations. Having racked up 35 goals and 14 assists for club and country this season, Ousmane Dembélé is the favourite to come out on top at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. PSG’s success this season also plays a huge factor in Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or case, having won the treble (UCL, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France), the French Super Cup and could still win the Club World Cup.
Ousmane Dembélé seems to have found his joy again after a difficult and injury-filled six-year stint at FC Barcelona. His attitude approaching games also seems to have taken a turn for the best, seeing as he is more consistent with his performances, is suffering fewer injuries and seems more engaged throughout the whole 90 minutes of a game. He is thriving in the defensive aspect of the game, because of Luis Enrique’s brilliant system and has been a key leader in the dressing room for PSG. This leadership and confidence are traits that he struggled to find during his years at FC Barcelona.
Being ambidextrous, Ousmane Dembélé is one of the most unpredictable wingers in Europe. Defenders have a hard time figuring out where he’s going to go and, seeing as he is able to reach a top speed of 36.6 km/h, defenders practically have to anticipate his moves in order to stand a chance of stopping him. He has matured a lot as a goalscorer this season, having scored more than double the goals of what was his most prolific season (2018/19) to date. Having stacked up a goal contribution in every Champions League game from the quarterfinals onwards, Ousmane Dembélé has shown up when his team has needed him the most.
Seeing as Ousmane Dembélé has already been named UCL player of the season and Ligue 1 MVP of the season, it would be the icing on the cake for him to win the Ballon d’Or in September.
