“He seemed to make himself invisible on the pitch” - Ousmane Dembele shares thoughts about playing with Lionel Messi at Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Ousmane Dembele has opened up about playing alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona. The Frenchman hailed Messi's style of play and revealed that he got a lot of advice from the Argentine legend.

Demebele joined Barca in 2017 as Neymar's replacement after the latter switched to PSG for a record transfer fee of €222 million. Although he failed to live up to his reported €104 million price tag, Dembele recorded significant success at Barcelona and fondly remembers his time with Messi at the Catalan club.

Speaking recently with Four Four Two, the 28-year-old said about the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner:

“I had a very good relationship with Messi from the very first day. 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."

Demebele also lauded Lionel Messi's skillset, saying:

"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," he added.

Messi and Dembele shared the pitch 95 times across four seasons for La Blaugrana, recording 15 joint-goal contributions and winning two league titles and two Copa del Reys. While the Argentine left the club in 2021 to join PSG, the Frenchman followed in a similar route two years later.

Ousmane Dembele named Barcelona legend Lionel Messi as the greatest of all time

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele did not mince words when asked his take on the GOAT debate. The Frenchman outrightly named Lionel Messi as the greatest to have played the game.

During an interview with France Football (via Forbes) in July 2024, Dembele said when asked to name his GOAT:

“I grew up watching FC Barcelona, so naturally [it’s] Lionel Messi. For me, he’s the greatest. He’s a player who inspires me, he’s unique! I’m very happy and proud to have played with him."

With eight Ballons d'Or to his name, Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the best player of all time. Meanwhile, Dembele will be hoping to land his first Ballon d'Or this year as he is one of the frontrunners for the award after enjoying a brilliant 2024-25 season with PSG.