Star, best player… Dembélé speaks his mind

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·27 September 2025

Star, best player… Dembélé speaks his mind

Winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or, Ousmane Dembélé has reached a new level of fame. A milestone that the 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and French national team forward discussed in an interview with L'Equipe published this Saturday.

Dembélé: "I don't care. I want to stay the same."

"Being a star, becoming famous thanks to football, did that attract you? Yeah, famous... But I didn't know there was all this fuss. I wanted to be a great player, play Champions League matches. If you're playing those games, it means you're in a big club, that you're a star. So, I am one. And what do you think of the word star? Pff... I don't care. I want to stay the same. It doesn't mean anything to me. Even if, sometimes, you can't walk down the street quietly without someone asking for a photo. Then, you take the photo. Sometimes, I disguise myself a bit to stay calm, to preserve myself, my privacy too."

Dembélé: "Every two weeks, it can change."

In 2017, you told L’Équipe: "I'm not going to say I'm the best player in the world!" Today, can you say it? It's a big word "best player in the world." For me, it doesn't mean anything. It can change every weekend. One match, you're not good, they'll say you're bad. The next match, you're the best in the world. (They show him the Ballon d'Or.) Yes, yes... It's supposed to... But every two weeks, it can change. Then, when you have a great season, the most beautiful season, you're rewarded. You were the best player of the season."

For Dembélé, there's no question of getting a big head. The desire to be known was there, but mainly because the forward wanted to be a great football player, playing important matches. It wasn't for fame itself. Which is very present today, as he achieves great things and wins major trophies.

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So, he enjoys this glorious period in his career, well-deserved. But there's no question of changing his behavior, of acting like a star. Dembélé wants, above all, to play football well and isn't naive: everything can change very quickly.

It's important to stay focused, serious, and give everything on the field. First, to help the team and win trophies. If this leads to a certain deserved status, all the better.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.