Ousmane Dembele has a year to remember
Ousmane Dembélé caps off his spectacular 2025 by claiming the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year award. The Paris Saint-Germain forward guided Les Parisiens to a historic quadruple last season and was at the center of their success in Europe this season. The 28-year-old Frenchman also picked up the Ballon d’Or in October, beating the likes of Lamine Yamal and Vitinha to win the prestigious award. So, after constantly being sidelined by injuries earlier in his career, what shifted his performances under Luis Enrique? How did the Spanish manager allowing him to have more of a free role impact his performances? Stay tuned as we unpack the various factors behind potentially one of the biggest turnarounds a player has experienced in football history.
The Frenchman at the heart of PSG success
Not many, including Ousmane Dembélé himself, would have foreseen the magical 2024-25 season that was ahead of him. Dembélé had endured a torrid time at Barcelona, dealing with multiple injuries which saw him miss a significant amount of action during his six years at the club. At PSG, though, Ousmane Dembélé looks like a completely rejuvenated player, contributing heavily to their success last season with the French winger recording 44 goal contributions. His success can be widely attributed to Luis Enrique shifting his role from a stationary winger to a free-roaming forward. This role shift allowed him to become more unpredictable and have more freedom when moving around the pitch, giving him more space to do his damage. His false-nine role allowed him to get into more advanced positions, which saw him score an increased number of goals.
