Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Ousmane Dembele has revealed that Lionel Messi was the first person to congratulate him on winning the Ballon d'Or this year. The 28-year-old became the latest recipient of the prestigious award after pipping Lamine Yamal to win it earlier this week.Dembele spoke with L'Equipe after his triumph in Paris, revealing that he has received congratulations from a number of his former Barcelona teammates this week. He pointed out, however, that Messi's message was the first to come in, congratulating him on his success. “Messi congratulated me first, he sent me a message directly. Xavi and Luis Suárez also sent me their congratulations. They were all very happy for me”, he said via @ReshadFCB.Ousmane Dembele led PSG to win the treble in the 2024-25 season, scoring 33 goals and providing 13 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions. The France international followed in the footsteps of Lionel Messi in winning the Ballon d'Or and paid homage to the Argentine during his acceptance speech. Messi and Dembele played together at the Nou Camp between 2017 and 2021, with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner taking the Frenchman under his wing. Another former teammate, Luis Suarez, as well as ex-Barcelona boss Xavi, also congratulated the Frenchman following his success. Dembele was a clear winner of the award this year, receiving 1,380 points to 1,059 points for Lamine Yamal, who finished in second place. The PSG star also received 73 first-place votes from a total of 100 journalists who voted for the award, indicating a dominant win for him.Ousmane Dembele joins Lionel Messi in rare group after Ballon d'Or triumphOusmane Dembele has become a member of an elite group of players to win the Ballon d'Or, FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Champions League titles. The Frenchman became the sixth player from France to receive the prestigious individual award this year following an excellent campaign for club and country. Dembele won the World Cup with the French national team in 2018, and was a key member of PSG's Champions League-winning side from the 2024-25 season. The forward also helped Les Parisiens win the French league title and the domestic cup in France. In football history, only nine other players have won all three honours, including Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Franz Beckenbauer, and Gerd Muller. Paolo Rossi, Kaka, Rivaldo, and Bobby Charlton are the other recipients, having enjoyed success in various eras of football.