Ousmane Dembele: Ballon d'Or bound?

PSG forward Ousmane Dembele has long had a big reputation, but is he now living up to his potential and could that lead to him winning football’s star prize?

The France international was once the second-most expensive player in history when he signed for Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 in a deal worth £135.5m, before joining Paris St-Germain in 2023 for just £43.5m.

After scoring 40 goals in 185 games for Barcelona, Dembele has gone onto become one of Europe’s most in-form forwards, scoring over 30 goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 season, including 21 goals in 26 league games to help PSG lift the Ligue 1 title.

So, what changed and could Dembele be rewarded with the Ballon d'Or? European football experts Julien Laurens and Guillem Balagué and former Cameroon defender Sebastien Bassong join World Football’s John Bennett to discuss.

Image: Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris, on March 16, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)