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France national team coach Didier Deschamps has supported Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger Ousmane Dembele to win the Ballon d'Or this year. He said he would be happy to see the winger take home the prestigious award.
Interacting with the media, Deschamps said that Dembele deserved to win the Ballon d'Or this year after his treble-winning with PSG. He said:
"Ousmane Dembélé deserves the Ballon d’Or, and I would be very happy if it were him."
It was not the first instance the France manager spoke about Dembele and the France Football award this summer. Speaking to ESPN in June, the 56-year-old lavished praise on the former Barcelona star and said:
"Of course I am for Ousmane, since he is French and with the season he is celebrating. Obviously, this Nations League can bring some elements of response, the Club World Cup too. If I have to choose, I tell you Ous, 100%, of course. If you ask me about the Spaniards, I don't think they will tell you the same thing. But obviously, Ousmane, with the season he is having, deserves it."
Ousmane Dembele played a pivotal role in PSG's Ligue 1 title win with 21 goals and six assists last season. He also scored eight goals and six assists in their UEFA Champions League campaign, which saw them win the tournament for the first time in their history.
Gael Clichy picked Ousmane Dembele for the Ballon d'Or
Gael Clichy was on RMC Sport in July when he said that Ousmane Dembele deserved to win the Ballon d'Or this year. He said that the PSG star had proved why he was the best player in the 2024-25 season and said (via GOAL):
"The Ballon d'Or rewards players who are decisive: you have to take into account individual statistics, which have been highlighted by Cristiano and Lionel Messi. This year, Ousmane Dembele has some pretty crazy numbers. And when he came on during the match, he was sharp, with or without possession, when he pressed.
"Failing to reach 90 goals in a year, for me today Dembele is the winner hands down. With Thierry Henry, we say that Ousmane is the most complete, he can score and make others score, cause chaos around him, he contributes defensively with his pressing... Today we have to give credit to Ousmane on these pressing phases, especially for players of this quality, he makes the work of an entire team easier, it's rare to see a player like that get in tune."
Ousmane Dembele is in the top 30 nominees for the award, along with eight of his PSG teammates. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha have all made the shortlist.
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