PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé Recalls Honest Moment With Lionel Messi at Barcelona | OneFootball

Ousmane Dembélé could be on his way to winning the Ballon d’Or this year after an amazing 2024-25 season for PSG. The Frenchman was at the heart of the Parisians’ attack as they won the treble.

PSG’s Dembélé and Barcelona’s star Lamine Yamal are dominating early discussions. Dembélé shone in the 2024–25 season, scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists in 53 appearances, helping PSG secure a historic treble, including the Champions League.

Yamal, still a teenager, also made a huge impact. He recorded 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 matches, guiding Barcelona to the league title, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España. Such performances have firmly placed him in contention for football’s most prestigious individual honor.

Moreover, Dembélé is reflecting on his past during a recent interview with FourFourTwo. The PSG attacker called a candid conversation with his former Barcelona teammate, Lionel Messi, while talking with the English media outlet.

At 20, Dembélé joined Barcelona in a record-breaking deal and played alongside Messi. After a strong 2016–17 season with Borussia Dortmund, he caught Barcelona’s attention and was signed to replace Neymar, who moved to PSG for €222 million that summer.

Ousmane Dembélé talks about Lionel Messi

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In the interview with FourFourTwo, he noted a conversation with the Argentine that still impacts him today.

“I had a very good relationship with Messi from the very first day,” Dembélé said. “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.

“Whether he played as a number 10 or number nine, his positioning was exceptional, the way he seemed to make himself invisible on the pitch. Sometimes you don’t seem to see him for about four or five minutes, then as soon as he gets the ball, he instinctively knows what to do.

“Messi would know when Jordi Alba was going to double up front with him, when he was going to put the ball in. He understands football really well, positions himself very well on the pitch and you know – we all know – what he can do with his feet.”

Barcelona back Lamine Yamal over PSG star

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Despite factoring in PSG’s treble last season, Dembélé does not have unanimous support. Many observers are voting for Yamal, considered the best player in the world at just 18 years old. Barcelona’s No. 10 also deserves the Ballon d’Or, according to Jules Koundé.

“Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d’Or? You’re putting me in a tricky situation, but I think he deserves it,“ Koundé said. “I have a very good relationship with him. He’s a team player, he works a lot for the team. He needs energy to attack, and I understand him perfectly.”