Long hampered by injuries and mocked for his recurring inaccuracies, Ousmane Dembélé has transformed himself into a model striker, first to defend and score, to better lift PSG to the top of Europe and become the sixth Frenchman to win the Ballon d'Or on Monday.

This individual award crowns "Dembouz's" incredible 2024-2025 season, which saw him win the Ligue 1 and Champions League best player trophies.

The Parisian striker was known for his ability to unbalance the opponent with his disconcerting dribbles, and his natural altruism (16 assists in all competitions, including two in the Champions League final). He also added the goal-scoring skills to his bow, as evidenced by his 35 goals in 53 matches (L1, C1, Coupe de France, Club World Cup, Champions Trophy).

A statistical line well above the 14 goals that constituted his previous record in 2018-2019 with FC Barcelona... To say that Dembélé, currently injured in a thigh, has had by far the best season of his career at 28 years old is an understatement.

In the heart of last winter, the ambidextrous player notably managed to score two consecutive hat-tricks against Stuttgart in the Champions League, then against Brest in the league, the start of a sprint towards the Ballon d'Or.

"He's had an exceptional season, efficient in front of goal, but when you look at his contribution on the pitch to build up plays, everything he does defensively, it's just extraordinary," explains Désiré Doué, his teammate at PSG.

Holy Grail

Beyond the numbers, his influence on the game has been felt in this role of false 9, a mixture of playmaker and center forward, entrusted to him by coach Luis Enrique.

"I would give the Ballon d'Or to Ousmane Dembélé, simply for his way of defending," the coach pleaded after the victory in Munich against Inter Milan (5-0), praising his efforts to trigger the pressure.

Dembélé, who led the capital club to its first Champions League title, succeeds Karim Benzema (2022), Zinédine Zidane (1998), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991), Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985) and Raymond Kopa (1958) in the exclusive club of distinguished Frenchmen. An achievement whose value he appreciates, since he compared the Ballon d'Or to the "Holy Grail" in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde at the end of August.

After arriving in Paris in the summer of 2023, Dembélé's status has changed over the months, both on and off the pitch.

Initially considered by Luis Enrique as the "most unbalanced player" in the world, he became the team's attacking leader at the request of his coach in the summer of 2024, after the departure of his friend Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid.

However, it took Luis Enrique sidelining him against Arsenal in the Champions League in early October 2024, due to his lack of "commitment" to the team, and repositioning him at the forefront of the attack for the turning point to happen.

"I made a small mistake (...) he made the right decision. I had one of the best starts to the season of my career, and in 2025 I completely exploded," he admitted on Monday.

But this transformation into a decisive player is not only due to Luis Enrique.

The native of Vernon (Eure), who grew up with his mother in the working-class district of La Madeleine, in Evreux, at the heart of a family of five, is today surrounded by a full staff.

"A clown"

A physical trainer, a nutritionist, a video analyst, his agent Moussa Sissoko, and his faithful friend with whom he grew up, Moustapha Diatta, helped him take a step forward by adopting a healthier lifestyle. This has resulted in fewer injuries.

The former Rennes player, with his unimpressive physique, who has always had an intelligence in positioning to escape from the density, has also changed his way of playing.

Fewer long runs and dribbles, more passing has encouraged better positioning in front of goal, with the effect of better positioning in shooting position.

But the smile remains a must for this mischievous player. In the locker room, "I'm a clown with everyone," Dembélé likes to say, his sometimes disconcerting naturalness in an increasingly sanitized environment.

The man who likes to dress chicly - something confirmed during the ceremony - has also loved to tease since childhood, according to his trainers, including Stade Rennais scout Armand Djire, who spotted him at the age of nine.

Willingly "airheaded," a fan of French variety, especially Charles Aznavour, but also of animal and historical documentaries, this father of a little girl is a "homebody" type. Above all, he is now at the top of the bill.