Inter Miami icon, Lionel Messi, has sent his congratulations to Ousmane Dembele after the French winger clinched the 2025 Ballon d’Or, edging out Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal for the coveted prize.
The Argentine, himself an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, celebrated his former Barcelona teammate by dropping a message under Dembele’s Instagram post, which featured the 28-year-old proudly holding the Golden Ball on Monday night.
Dembele’s stellar campaign with Paris Saint-Germain saw him net 35 goals across 53 appearances in all competitions, playing a decisive role in guiding the club to their first-ever UEFA Champions League crown, alongside triumphs in Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.
As reported by GIVEMESPORT, Messi commented: “Grande Ous. Congratulations, I am so happy for you. You deserve it,” beneath Dembele’s celebratory post.
With the win, Dembele succeeded Manchester City star Rodri and joined an elite list as the sixth Frenchman to claim the Ballon d’Or, following in the footsteps of Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema.
In his acceptance speech, Dembele expressed gratitude to Messi, acknowledging the influence the Argentine had on his career: he said he “learned so much from him” during their time together at Barcelona.
Messi and Dembele shared the pitch at the Camp Nou for four seasons after the Frenchman arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 in a deal worth around £135.5 million.
Together, they featured in 95 matches, winning back-to-back La Liga titles in 2018 and 2019, along with the Copa del Rey in 2018.
