Ousmane Dembélé Quietly Becomes the Main Man After Long Journey to the Top
In 2025, Ousmane Dembélé was voted the Guardian's best male footballer in the world by a panel of 219 experts, marking a significant rise in his career after years of challenges.
Dembélé's journey started at Rennes youth before moving to Dortmund and then enduring six injury-plagued years at Barcelona, where he scored 24 league goals and faced criticism, including a notorious missed late chance against Liverpool in 2019 and reported rumors of wasted talent and blackmail on his exit.
His transformation began following Luis Enrique's arrival at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), where a team-focused plan liberated him and elevated him as the main man. In 2025, Dembélé scored 30 goals including crucial performances in the Champions League against Liverpool, where he assisted and scored as well as successfully converting a penalty in the shootout, and scoring in the semi-final against Arsenal.
A defining image of PSG's dominant 5-0 Champions League final win over Inter was Dembélé pressing at the edge of the opposition box, symbolizing his central role in the team.
Thomas Tuchel's player motivation categorization had labeled Dembélé as 'C' (curious-motivated), which indicated the need for a tailored coaching approach to unlock his potential.
The article argues that greatness in football is not linear but depends significantly on chemistry, fit with the coach, and the right tactical system. The departure of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid opened space for PSG to make the entire team their star, allowing Dembélé to step into this pivotal role.
