Ousmane Dembélé’s career turnaround enters international spotlight
The reigning Ballon d’Or holder is part of a star-studded French attack seeking their second World Cup in three attempts.
CLAIREFONTAINE-EN-YVELINES, FRANCE - MARCH 18: Ousmane Dembele of France gestures during a French national team training session part of a preparation for upcoming friendly football matches at Centre National du Football on March 18, 2024 in Clairefontaine-En-Yvelines, France (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images) | Getty Images Becoming the Best Ousmane Dembélé heads into the 2026 World Cup as the current Ballon d’Or holder, the award given to the best player on the planet. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar has flourished into a devastating goal machine since moving to the Ligue 1 side and will now seek to add another World Cup to his collection this summer. After failing to live up to his potential and a lofty $150 million price tag at Barcelona, Dembélé turned his career around at PSG.
The forward’s time with the Catalan giants was blighted by injury and inconsistency. Coming Home A return to France changed everything for Dembélé and unlocked his best form. Luis Enrique switched Dembélé from a wide position to a central role, sat back and watched as the Frenchman exploded in sensational style.
He scored 35 goals and bagged 16 assists in 53 appearances as PSG won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and finally got their hands on a Champions League trophy. The Role Change Dembélé has become liberated at PSG, freed from the suffocating pressure of Barca and now mature enough to take on the responsibility of being the main man. His electrifying pace is a huge asset, but it’s his vision, movement and positioning that have helped elevate him into world-class territory.
He’s also sharpened up in front of goal, putting days of wastefulness behind him to become a ruthless finisher. The forward will now seek more glory on the international stage with France. Dembélé was part of the squad that won the 2018 tournament, beating Croatia 4-2 in the final in Russia, but only started twice in the group phase and two more times as a substitute in the knockout rounds.