Dumfries ‘wow’ moment with Haaland at Ballon d’Or for Inter | OneFootball

Denzel Dumfries admits to being stunned he beat Erling Haaland in the Ballon d’Or rankings, but Inter should be ‘proud’ of two Champions League Finals in three years.

The wing-back is on international duty with the Netherlands, so spoke to De Volkskrant and Voetbal Primeur about his experience at Inter.

“I learned from coach Alex Pastoor that you have to enjoy the moment, be aware of where you are, and be proud of it. That can be difficult at times, but it’s good to take a wider view and just say ‘well done, good work’ to yourself.

“For example, it was horrible the way Inter lost the Champions League Final to Paris Saint-Germain,” said Dumfries of the 5-0 defeat.

“However, Inter were in two Champions League Finals in three years. So at times I try to look at the bigger picture and think, Denzel, you ought to be proud.”

Dumfries helped Inter to Champions League Final

BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 30: Denzel Dumfries of FC Internazionale scores his team’s second goal whilst under pressure from Pedri and Frenkie de Jong of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between FC Barcelona and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on April 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

It was also because of his performances on the way to the Final that Dumfries secured 25th place in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year.

“It was special being part of that event, among those global stars. It was an honour to be considered among the 30 best players in the world.

“Wow, I finished above Haaland in the table, that was the crowning moment of a season with many great games.”

Nonetheless, the key to his career is to keep working and improving, balancing satisfaction at an achievement with the desire to continue growing.

“I must be realistic and focus on where I can improve. It’s almost impossible for a defender to provide more goals and assists than I already do, but I’d like to be more present when building moves, be a bit more dominant.

“I am at an age where I experimented various things and can take on a leadership role. I am not timid, but I still have progress to make.”

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – SEPTEMBER 04: Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands holds his wrist as he appears injured after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Netherlands and Poland at De Kuip on September 04, 2025 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Dumfries assures he is always looking forward, as Inter now have a new coach in the form of Cristian Chivu.

“My mentality put me in a tunnel and I have to continually go forward. I am very severe in this sense. At the top, you must always apply standards of discipline and rigor on yourself.

“I will turn 30 next April, I am in a different phase of my career, but I want to achieve certain objectives. I am also a father, so I want to find the right balance between the two.”

Dumfries admits he has learned something new with Inter and hopes to bring some of that battling spirit with him to the Netherlands.

“Other countries have an advantage over the Netherlands, which is they think outside the box and lead the battle. Argentina, for example, do everything to win and leave nothing to chance. We are a bit too orderly in that sense.

“It isn’t the most important thing, but it can give us a better chance of success. Making a few pointless fouls, stalling the attack. We are masters of that at Inter! If you don’t do it sooner, it’s worse to do it later.

“We don’t hesitate to commit fouls, to push just over the limit. We ought to do that more in the Netherlands.”