Lionel Messi sends heartfelt message to former teammate Ousmane Dembele as latter wins 2025 Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi has reacted to Ousmane Dembele winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or. He congratulated the Frenchman and added that he deserves the coveted prize.

Ousmane Dembele was announced as the winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday, September 22. He ranked above Lamine Yamal (2nd) and Vitinha (3rd) in the list. After the win, Dembele shared a carousel post on his Instagram account from the event and wrote in the caption (translated from French):

"Lots of joy, pride and emotion. A dream come true. Thank you to all those who have always supported me throughout this journey. #ballondor"

Lionel Messi commented on this post, writing:

"Great Ous!!! Congratulations, I'm very happy for you. You deserve it"

Ousmane Dembele helped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) win five trophies last season. They won the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophee des Champions, and UEFA Super Cup. The Frenchman scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 games across competitions for the Parisians.

He also helped France reach the UEFA Nations League semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Spain.

When ex-Barcelona star explained how Lionel Messi's training influenced 2025 Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele

Ousmane Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for a massive reported fee of €148 million, including add-ons, in 2017. Hence, he also shared a dressing room with Lionel Messi.

Former Barca midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng once revealed that Messi's training methods influenced Dembele, leading to his injury issues. He said that young players like the Frenchman would follow the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, saying:

"So we come in the dressing room, he's just sitting there on his phone (and) gets a massage sitting down. Two minutes before we go out, he just stands up, closes his boots, and goes out. The warm up for the Champions League game against Liverpool, (we did the) crossbar challenge and then he goes back inside. (The) coach made the last adjustment. (Messi) is on the phone face-timing, (and) 30 seconds before we go out, he just comes and puts his jacket on, and BOOM, goal, goal, goal."

"That's what the young players did in Barcelona: Malcom, Dembele, they looked at him, and they didn't train so then going to the game, they got injured. He's (Messi's) the only one in the world that can do that," he added.

Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele shared the pitch 95 times for Barcelona, combining for 15 goals. They couldn't do it for PSG as the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner arrived in the summer when Messi left the French giants.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Aditya Singh