Ousmane Dembélé Laughs Off Ballon d'Or Pressure
Ousmane Dembélé has never looked more scrutinised. Or more relaxed.
Since lifting the 2025 Ballon d'Or, the Paris Saint-Germain winger has found every touch, every decision, every off day dissected in public. He insists he is not losing a second of sleep over it.
"I don't care about being criticised, it's part of the game," he told RMC, speaking alongside an interview with "France Football". "You will always be criticised in football, and it increases when you are the holder of the Ballon d'Or."
He knows exactly what comes with that golden trophy: a spotlight that never switches off.
"I have won the biggest individual award, so I am now under the microscope more," he said. "This makes me laugh, you are constantly watched, but it doesn't bother me."
Always on trial after the Ballon d'Or
The numbers from his 2025-26 campaign at PSG are clear enough: 40 matches in all competitions, 20 goals, 11 assists. Output befitting a Ballon d'Or holder. But for Dembélé, the award has changed something more subtle – the way every performance is judged.
"You have to be strong all the time," he explained. "You have to put in a good performance in every match, otherwise everyone will start talking about you and criticising you."
The reaction to a quiet game is instant. The noise is louder. He simply refuses to let it define him.
"This is funny, but it doesn't change anything, the criticism will always be there."
Where he does accept a shift is in his own standards, especially when the stakes rise. Dembélé pointed to the Champions League as the clearest example, having scored in every game he played from the quarter-final second leg onwards.
"I was clearly better in the decisive moments, and that is important," he said. "Isn't that the number one criterion?"
The season did not start smoothly. Early injuries forced PSG’s staff to handle him carefully, managing his minutes and keeping him fresh for the run-in. The payoff came when the competition tightened and margins shrank. That is when he feels he truly played like a Ballon d'Or winner.
No obsession with keeping the crown
The next edition of the Ballon d'Or is already taking shape, and Dembélé is not among the leading favourites to retain it. He sounds utterly unconcerned.
"This is football," he said. "The Ballon d'Or was never an obsession for me. It was a goal or a dream, yes, but it was never an obsession."
There is no talk of building a personal dynasty or chasing records. Just a simple wish.
"I hope the best player wins," he added.
Kvaratskhelia, Kane, Mbappé: Dembélé’s podium
Asked who that “best player” is right now, Dembélé did not hesitate. His first choice is close to home: PSG team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian winger who has lit up Paris alongside him.
England captain Harry Kane joins Kvaratskhelia on Dembélé’s ballot, as does his former PSG colleague Kylian Mbappé. A trio of forwards, three very different profiles, one shared level of respect.
Would he ever put his own name down?
"No, if I were the one choosing, I would not put myself on the list and I would not vote for myself," he replied, cutting off the idea instantly.
It is a stance that contrasts sharply with Mbappé’s. The France star has previously made clear that, if he had a vote, he would back himself in the Ballon d'Or race.
Two superstars. Two views on individual glory. One of them currently holds the trophy and laughs at the pressure that comes with it. The real question now is whether the season ahead will give Dembélé another decisive run – or hand that golden ball to the very player he has just anointed.
