Ousmane Dembélé reveals who congratulated him first on winning the Ballon d’Or

Ousmane Dembélé enjoyed a phenomenal season and was awarded the 2025 Ballon d’Or. He has now revealed who was the first to send him congratulations.

Details: According to the French winger, the first message came from Lionel Messi, sent directly to Dembélé’s private messages.

Quote: “Who congratulated me first on the Ballon d’Or? Leo Messi! He sent me a message directly,” Dembélé told L'Équipe.

Earlier reports confirmed that the PSG winger collected 1,389 points — over 300 more than Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who finished second in the voting. Meanwhile, one of the main contenders for the award, Rafinha, scored just 620 points.

Reminder: Last season, Dembélé played 53 matches for PSG, scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists. With the Parisians, the winger achieved a treble: Ligue 1, the French Cup, and the Champions League. Likewise, his coach Luis Enrique received the Johan Cruyff Award.