Ousmane Dembélé Claims He Was Never “The Chosen One” to Win the Ballon d'Or

The Frenchman assured that his success is not due to a predetermined destiny but to constant effort.

The effort behind the Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembélé, Paris Saint-Germain star and current Ballon d 'Or winner, made it clear that his success is not due to a predetermined destiny, but to consistent hard work. “I was never the chosen one,” said the French forward, who in 2025 won the award after a brilliant season with 46 direct goal contributions, including 33 goals and 13 assists, which helped PSG win Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Champions League

No pressure, with humility

This year he's back among the candidates, after winning back-to-back titles with PSG and taking France to the World Cup semifinals. However, Dembélé keeps a low profile: “I was always at the back of the class, working hard. I never said a word; I worked incredibly hard. Like I said, I was never the chosen one, but I worked hard, and last year I was rewarded with a fantastic year. This year, we'll see how it goes, without pressure, calmly,” he told Ligue1+

A clash of styles

The race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or promises to be fierce. Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé are also considered favorites. Mbappé himself, speaking to France Football, highlighted the differences: "Dembélé was always seen as a talented player. I, on the other hand, was always seen as the chosen one.” Also on the list is Fabián Ruiz, Dembélé's teammate at PSG, who achieved a historic double by winning the Champions League with the club and the World Cup with Spain. “My position on the Ballon d'Or depends on the voters. The most important thing is to be available for the team. I'm already grateful and proud to be nominated," he said