Messi and Mbappé lead global celebrations as French-Malian star Ousmane Dembélé wins Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have led the tributes to Ousmane Dembélé after the Paris Saint-Germain winger was crowned Ballon d’Or winner on Monday night in Paris.

The 28-year-old became the sixth Frenchman to lift the sport’s most prestigious individual prize after beating competition from Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, capping a remarkable year of domestic and continental success.

Dembélé, who was to a Malian father and a Mauritanian Senegalese mother, was the overwhelming favourite for the award following his standout performances for PSG in Ligue 1 and Europe.

His coronation on home soil has further cemented his status as one of the game’s elite players and marked another milestone in a career that has overcome injury setbacks and criticism to reach its peak.

Messi, his former teammate at the Parc des Princes, was among the first to publicly congratulate him.

“Grande Ous !!! Congratulations I’m so happy for you. You deserve it,” the Argentine legend wrote, echoing the sentiments of many across world football.

Mbappé also celebrated Dembélé’s success, posting on his Instagram story: “Ousmane Dembele. It’s the emotions, my brother. You deserve it a thousand times over.”

Dembélé’s triumph makes him the first French player to secure the Ballon d’Or since Karim Benzema in 2023 and sets a new benchmark for the current PSG squad.