Islam Makhachev: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev celebrate Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon d’Or triumph

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev recently shared their reaction to the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony. Both MMA stars congratulated Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for winning the 2025 men's Ballon d'Or.

For context, the Ballon d'Or is an annual soccer award presented to honor the player who has performed the best over the previous season. Dembele seemingly played a significant role in PSG's achievement of winning the European treble last season.

In a post on their Instagram Stories, both 'The Eagle' and Makhachev, who are well-versed in the world of soccer, celebrated Dembele's first-ever Ballon d'Or victory. Nurmagomedov wrote:

"@o.dembele7 Best ☝️ Congratulations"

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Check out the posts below:

Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov's Instagram Stories. [Screenshots courtesy: Respective Instagram handles]

Both Nurmagomedov and Makhachev have been quite vocal about their love for soccer. Over the years, they have also been spotted with several popular soccer players. 'The Eagle,' in particular, shares a strong camaraderie with stars like Antonio Rudiger and Mesut Ozil, among others.

When Khabib Nurmagomedov congratulated Paris Saint-Germain on UCL victory

Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA) after his fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in 2020. Since then, he has taken on the role of mentor and coach for Islam Makhachev and other fighters. In addition to coaching, Nurmagomedov has frequently been seen attending live soccer games.

Notably, 'The Eagle' was present to witness Paris Saint-Germain's first-ever UEFA Champions League triumph earlier this year. In an Instagram post, Nurmagomedov shared moments from his visit and congratulated PSG on their victory, writing:

"Since 2018 have been attending PSG matches at the invitation of my brother Nasser Al-Khelaifi 🤝.I know the club and all the club staff very well and I know how much they worked to be at the top of football. My congratulations @psg 👏 I’m very happy for you guys🔝"

About the author

A budding sports management professional, Nilaav Gogoi covers MMA at Sportskeeda. His entry into sports journalism began with stints at Sportszion and First Sportz. Nilaav strives to understand the captivating stories surrounding MMA and its various technical aspects. He is dedicated to providing his audience with accurate and well-authored content while ensuring the information remains reliable.

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