As career trajectories go, not many are as satisfying as that of Ousmane Dembele during a stellar 2025. 

The Frenchman’s arduous journey to the pinnacle of football was completed as he received the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

Dembele finished the 2024/25 season with 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 matches as Paris Saint-Germain won Ligue 1, Coupe de France and their first-ever UEFA Champions League title.

Dembele’s influence was palpable in their immense success as he was Ligue 1’s joint-top scorer as well as the Player of the Year in both the French top flight and Champions League. 

These accolades capped off a sensational career revival for a supremely talented player who had not recorded double figures in league goals since his breakthrough season as a teenager at Rennes.

Dembele’s prodigious talent was clear for all to see since a viral clip from his teenage years when he was asked about his preferred foot. “Hmm, left,” he says, before the interviewer asks why he takes penalties with his right foot. “Because I shoot better with my right,”

Fading Promise

There were reasonable doubts whether Dembele would ever fulfil his immense potential over the last few years, more so when he was substituted before half-time at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final.

The last few years have been an emotional but rewarding story of resilience, self-awareness and determination.

Dembele began his career at Rennes where he dazzled for one senior campaign before a transfer to Borussia Dortmund, aged 19. Further eye-catching performances in Germany meant he was again on the move after one full season, this time to Spain.

Dembele’s 2017 move to Barcelona saw him become the second-most expensive player in the world in a deal worth £135.5million, but the weight of expectation was too much to bear for a kid.

In Catalunya, Dembele was replacing the recently departed Neymar, but he would have his own personal battles with injuries and indiscipline. 

Dembele became the club’s most-fined player as serious concerns over his professionalism emerged, while he also sustained a total of 14 muscle injuries, spending 784 days sidelined. 

These issues halted his rhythm and proposed trajectory into a superstar at Barcelona, needing a lot of maturing to do which he ultimately did. 

A source close to the player summed up his revival. “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.” 

“It was when things started to get difficult at Barcelona that he realised he wasn’t living the life of a professional player. It just took him a bit of time to mature. 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.” the source concluded.

The coming-of-age and attention to marginal gains like employing a nutritionist, chef and working with personal physios transformed Dembele’s mindset and fitness.

Although performances and consistency had noticeably improved for two years, Barca cut their losses on Dembele when they sold him to PSG for £43.5M in 2023. 

The Parisians were in need of more French players to embody the passion of the locals, and Dembele fit the bill, having yet to hit his peak. Although the forward was once again replacing Neymar, this was in a more relaxed scenario with close friend Kylian Mbappe being the main man at the French capital. 

While Dembele recorded six goals and 14 assists in his maiden campaign at PSG, Mbappe’s eventual departure paved the way for Dembele to become the star.

Redemption arc

After Mbappe completed his long-awaited move to Real Madrid, PSG were left with a gaping hole in their attack amidst a changing recruitment drive towards talented but hungry young players.

There would be no more dependence on an undisputed superstar as Luis Enrique sought to harness the power of the collective.

The Spanish coach now had Dembele, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Goncalo Ramos and latterly Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in his attacking ranks and challenged them all to produce double digits in goals and assists.

Nevertheless, the absence of Mbappe was keenly felt initially as PSG struggled to score goals, especially in the Champions League, where they found the net only three times in their first five matches.

Notably, Enrique had dropped Dembele for the trip to face Arsenal on Matchday 2 after a disagreement leading up to the game. The incident worked a treat as it served as a turning point for the player who now realised what Enrique wants and expects from him.

It all clicked when Dembele was moved from the right wing to a false nine role in a game against Lyon on 15 December. PSG’s season was transformed as Dembele, who had only scored five goals up to that point, would go on to hit 30 more. 

With a team well-coached on positional fluidity and a forward line consisting of flair wingers who are excellent in one-on-one duels, Dembele was tasked with knitting attacks from deep and often finishing them off. 

The magnitude of his massive impact on PSG’s UCL campaign was emphasised on his team’s return to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the semi-final. Dembele was the star of the show as he scored the only goal of the game to ensure an important first-leg lead and a goal contribution against all the four English teams he faced in the competition. 

Of course, the crowning moment of PSG’s ambitious project was that historic night in Munich when they thrashed Inter Milan 5-0, but Dembele had produced a statement performance with his two assists in the final.

Despite not finding the back of the net, the Frenchman was not only lethal on the ball but also a relentless threat off it with his remarkable pressing. There were clips of Dembele ferociously chasing down goalkeeper Yann Sommer in possession, which prompted a proud manager to declare his new star man the early favourite for the Ballon d’Or. 

Ousman of the year

While it became apparent that Dembele would win the individual honour, it was nearly impossible to shake off the feeling that the award’s appeal is at an all-time low.

Long gone are the days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominating the world stage for 15 years, as Karim Benzema and Rodri have both won the award since 2022.

While Rodri’s coronation in 2024 was recognition for his exploits with Manchester City and Spain, Dembele’s completes a sensational story of career revival.

The France international displayed incredible fortitude to learn from mistakes and finally realise his mesmerising talent, but he is now unlikely to win more than two in his career.

Hence, it lays bare the fact that football is yet to have an undisputed best player amidst a catalogue of superstars. Perhaps it just proves that finally, mere mortals can win football’s most prestigious individual honour again. 

Don’t be surprised to see defenders or goalkeepers winning it in the next few years.