Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé is the best player in the world, according to a 219-strong voting panel. The French forward has made a remarkable journey from being considered a talented but injury-prone young player at Barcelona to becoming an unstoppable force in the Champions League.
Dembélé's ascent to greatness was not always smooth sailing. He struggled with injuries and lack of playing time at Barcelona, starting only a third of league games during his six-year tenure. Despite this, he developed into a curious-motivated talent who was liberated by PSG coach Luis Enrique to become the team's main man.
In contrast to his days at Dortmund, where Dembélé was coached by Thomas Tuchel in an "ABC" system that tailored training to individual motivation types, PSG gave him the freedom to shine. Dembélé started making waves under Enrique, quietly becoming the best player on the pitch with his vision, movement, pace, control, and positioning setting the tone for the team.
A defining moment came during PSG's 2025 Champions League final against Liverpool, where Dembélé scored two decisive goals that sealed a 5-0 win. The goals showcased his ability to drop deep, switch the play, and unmark himself in the box, leaving defenders bewildered.
Dembélé's journey illustrates that greatness often requires more than just natural talent. It demands resilience, adaptability, decision-making, creativity, and a strong work ethic. While it is difficult to quantify these intangible qualities, Dembélé has consistently demonstrated them throughout his career.
His well-deserved award as the world's best player serves not only as recognition for his goals and trophies but also acknowledges the qualities that have made him great – those unseen, yet undeniable attributes that set him apart from his peers.
Dembélé's ascent to greatness was not always smooth sailing. He struggled with injuries and lack of playing time at Barcelona, starting only a third of league games during his six-year tenure. Despite this, he developed into a curious-motivated talent who was liberated by PSG coach Luis Enrique to become the team's main man.
In contrast to his days at Dortmund, where Dembélé was coached by Thomas Tuchel in an "ABC" system that tailored training to individual motivation types, PSG gave him the freedom to shine. Dembélé started making waves under Enrique, quietly becoming the best player on the pitch with his vision, movement, pace, control, and positioning setting the tone for the team.
A defining moment came during PSG's 2025 Champions League final against Liverpool, where Dembélé scored two decisive goals that sealed a 5-0 win. The goals showcased his ability to drop deep, switch the play, and unmark himself in the box, leaving defenders bewildered.
Dembélé's journey illustrates that greatness often requires more than just natural talent. It demands resilience, adaptability, decision-making, creativity, and a strong work ethic. While it is difficult to quantify these intangible qualities, Dembélé has consistently demonstrated them throughout his career.
His well-deserved award as the world's best player serves not only as recognition for his goals and trophies but also acknowledges the qualities that have made him great – those unseen, yet undeniable attributes that set him apart from his peers.