Paris St Germain's France international Ousmane Dembele said winning the Ballon d’Or was never a personal goal but admitted he could not hold back tears when he spoke about his family after being named the world’s best player on Monday.
The forward became the first Frenchman since Karim Benzema in 2022 to lift the prize after helping PSG claim their maiden Champions League crown last season.
“I didn’t want to cry, but as soon as I started talking about my family, about the people who have been there for me, it came up and I couldn’t hold it back,” Dembele told Reuters after beating Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal to the prize.
The 28-year-old added that while he never set out to target individual honors, the award was a special moment.
“It was never a personal objective. On an individual level, having a trophy like this is magnificent. But when it happens, of course, you’re happy, you’re delighted.”
Asked whether the accolade was the “people’s Ballon d’Or”, a description once used by Benzema, Dembele replied: “Benzema is the people’s Ballon d’Or, the first one, and I am the second.”
Dembele insisted the award also belonged to his club.
“Yes, of course, it’s for the team. For all the people who are fans of me, all the Parisian supporters, the whole club, the staff and the players,” he said.
Recovering from an injury that has sidelined him in recent weeks, the striker said: “It’s better, I’ll be back soon.”
