Dembelè Ousmane
Masour Ousmane Dembélé is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is one of ten players to have won the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and Ballon d’Or in their career. Dembélé began his professional career at Rennes, where he was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year in his sole season with the first team. In 2016, he transferred to German club Borussia Dortmund, winning the DFB-Pokal in his debut campaign and scoring in the final. Regarded as one of the most promising young talents in world football, he joined Spanish side Barcelona in 2017 for an initial fee of €105 million, making him at the time the joint-second most expensive player in history, alongside Paul Pogba and behind Neymar. Although he did not fully meet the expectations placed on him at the club, Dembélé won multiple domestic honors with Barcelona, including three La Liga, two Copa del Rey, and two Supercopa de España titles. Dembélé returned to France in 2023, signing with Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of €50.4 million. In the 2024–25 season, he experienced a resurgence in his career, contributing 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances as PSG won a continental treble. He was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year and UEFA Champions League Player of the Season, as well as finishing as the Ligue 1 top scorer. His performances earned him the 2025 Ballon d’Or. After winning 20 caps and scoring five goals at youth level, Dembélé made his senior international debut for France in 2016. He was a member of the France squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also featuring at UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup (finishing as runners-up) and Euro 2024.
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A winger that can play on either wings because of his ability to use both feet and using his technical ability and agility to beat defenders on one-on-one situations. Ousmane can operate as a left attacking midfielder or right attacking midfielder in a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 formation. His clinical finishing and an eye for goal means he can operate as a striker. Often compared to Neymar and Ronaldinho by fans for his show-boating and trickery, sudden change of pace and feints. Dembélé earned high praise from Barça legend Andrés Iniesta for his game-changing qualities. Dembélé is well-known for his ability to use both feet. His dribbling ability and performance of tricks allows him to cut through from the left or right in order to score or create goalscoring opportunities for teammates. A highly skillful player, Dembélé has great quality in terms of shooting from distance. The French uses his speed for beating opponents and has excellent crossing ability. His creativity is exceptional when in possession of the ball. During a counterattack he is a big threat, because of his intelligent runs. In March of 2019 Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted that Dembélé, “Is better than Neymar”.
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Ousmane Dembelè is a big basketball’s fan and in particular of NBA. During his 2018 summer holiday, after the World Cup’s triumph visited Miami Heat’s faclities, trying out his shots at the NBA side’s home, showing on his social media that he had fun and showed off his skill with basketball. During his visit to Miami Heat he was gifted with a team’s jersey with number 27 (player’s home town department’s number) and “Dembrook” name on the back, a word pun between “Dembelè” and “Westbrook” that was named 2017/2018 NBA MVP. So Ousmane Dembelè keep the #dembrook27 hashtag also on the boots he wore in the first games of the 2018/2019 season.
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These boots worn by Dembelè were especially made to celebrate his friend Abdelhak Nouri. Nouri was #24 Ajax player that has been in a serious condition after collapsing on the pitch in a game in 2017, suffering serious brain injuries. Nouri collapsed in an Ajax pre-season friendly against Werder Bremen in October 2017. The 21-year-old midfielder had suffered a cardiac arrest and was helicoptered straight to intensive care and placed in an induced coma. Luckily, he has been showing gradual recovery in recent months, but whether he will make a significant recovery is unknown. Several members of the footballing world have showed their support to the Ajax man, including Patrick Kluivert, who chose the number 34 at Roma, the same one his friend wore at the Dutch club. Dembelè celebrated Nouri wearing his name and his number 24 printed on his boots in several games, including the Champions League game against PSV, where Dembele also scored and he invited Nouri’s brother to Camp Nou in Barcelona to watch the game.
Dembele official Instagram
Dembele with Nouri’s brother
“I met Appie (Nouri) during an elite tour with French team, and I was young, 17. He was an extraordinary player. What happened was very hard to believe. I was so sad for him and for his family. Even for the whole Ajax club. Frankly I was really sad for him. Since the beginning of the season I play with the name of Appie on my boots. Even if it’s been a year now, we still have him in our heart and memory. I have a good relationship with his brother. It warms their heart, that people in the football world do not forget Appie” [Ousmane Dembelè]
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Dembélé was born in Vernon, Eure, in Normandy. His mother is Mauritanian-Senegalese from Waly Diantang, while his father is Malian. He took his first footballing steps in nearby Évreux, first at ALM Évreux and then at Évreux FC 27 between the ages of 12 and 13. On September 22nd Dembelè won the Ballon d’Or. He was named ahead of Lamine Yamal and Paris club-mate Vitinha to complete a memorable campaign. Dembélé was named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season as Paris claimed the title for the first time. He also played a key role in a domestic double, ending 2024/25 with an incredible haul of 37 goals and 15 assists. Dembele is a practising Muslim. He married a Moroccan woman in a traditional Moroccan ceremony in France in December 2021. They have a daughter, born September 2022. Dembélé’s fatherhood has been credited with him settling down, as he was previously one of Barcelona’s most-fined players due to disciplinary issues. In July 2021, video footage of Dembélé along with teammate Antoine Griezmann circulated online, in which he was seen making racial comments against the Japanese technicians in their hotel room. As the technicians appeared to be troubleshooting the room’s television, Dembélé made comments towards Griezmann in French, stating “All these ugly faces, just so you can play PES, aren’t you ashamed?”, continuing with “What the fuckin language?” before zooming in on one of the technicians’ faces while laughing, mentioning “Are you technologically advanced in your country or not?”.
