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Seven reasons Ousmane Dembele went from injury-ridden Barcelona mess to 2025 Ballon d'Or favorite after PSG’s Champions League triumph.
Once ridiculed as one of Barcelona’s most frustrating transfers due to constant injuries and inconsistent form, Ousmane Dembéle has completely rewritten his story in Paris.
After playing a key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s historic 2025 UEFA Champions League title, he’s now being seriously touted as a Ballon d'Or frontrunner.
Here are 7 reasons behind his sensational resurgence:
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1. Luis Enrique’s Trust and Tactical System
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Under Luis Enrique, Dembélé finally found a coach who not only believed in him but built systems to amplify his strengths.
The Spaniard deployed him as a wide creator and inside forward, giving him license to roam, improvise, and destabilize defenses—often as the first line-breaker in PSG's attack.
"He gives me confidence, and that’s what I’ve needed," Dembélé said as quoted on The Athletic, "With Luis Enrique, I can be free on the pitch."
2. A Clean Bill of Health at Last
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At Barcelona, Dembélé’s time was ravaged by muscle injuries and stop-start form. But since arriving at PSG, the Frenchman has stayed remarkably healthy, thanks in part to Paris' medical team tailoring a personal fitness and injury prevention program.
The result? His first full season in Europe without a single major injury.
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3. Mental Maturity and Personal Growth
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The flashy but erratic Dembélé of 2018 is gone. What we’re seeing now is a mentally tougher, more responsible version of the winger. He’s reportedly cut down on distractions, improved his diet, and even changed his inner circle, focusing fully on football.
"I’ve learned from my past. I’ve matured, and I know what I want now," he recently told French media.
It wasn’t just that PSG won the Champions League. It was how Dembélé delivered game-changing performances, especially in the quarterfinals and final, where he scored or assisted in every knockout round. His clutch moments on the biggest stage have made him impossible to ignore.
4. Electric Champions League Performances
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Let’s face it—football loves a comeback story. And no one has bounced back quite like Dembélé. From being jeered at Camp Nou to hearing his name chanted by PSG fans in Paris and across Europe, his narrative now aligns with greatness.
5. Support Cast That Elevates Him
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At PSG, Dembélé isn't a one-man army—he’s flanked by elite talent like Desire Doue, Krvicha Kvaratskelia, Vitinha, and Bradley Barcola.
This freedom and chemistry have allowed Dembélé to focus on creativity, link-up play, and lethal final-third movement, instead of carrying the team alone.
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7. A Player Finally Living Up to His €145M Price Tag
It took a few detours, but Dembélé is finally justifying the fee Barcelona paid in 2017. Ironically, it’s happening at a different club. And as PSG fans will tell you—he’s worth every centime now.
Whether you call it redemption, reinvention, or just overdue greatness, Ousmane Dembélé has become one of world football’s most lethal, exciting, and valuable players in 2025.
And unless someone else has a generational rest of the calendar year, don’t be surprised if his name is engraved on the Ballon d’Or this year.
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