On September 22, 2025, the prestigious Ballon d’Or awards ceremony for the world’s top footballers came to a close. Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé was honored with the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Interestingly, few are aware that he was once an enthusiastic gamer, often skipping training sessions to indulge in video games late into the night.
FactsBay delves into the life and career of footballer Ousmane Dembélé, highlighting his achievements, including the 2025 Ballon d’Or, his love for video games, the times he skipped training to game, and his EA FC 26 card.
Biography, career, trophies, and the 2025 Ballon d’Or
Masour Ousmane Dembélé was born in Vernon, a town in northern France, and raised in Évreux, Normandy, where he first ventured into football. The French player started with futsal, actively participating from 2008 to 2010. At 13, he received an invitation to join the Rennes academy.
According to the youth team coach, Ousmane consistently outshone his teammates, showed steady improvement, and remained injury-free. Interestingly, Dembélé had opportunities with other French clubs, but it was Rennes that provided the young talent and his family with comfortable living arrangements.
The transition to professional football was challenging for Dembélé. At first, he only occasionally made it onto the reserve team roster, yet he still emerged as a key scorer. By 17, Ousmane was hailed as the best player in the fourth division and earned a call-up to the France U-17 national team. Around that time, he nearly signed with Benfica for €2 million, but ultimately chose a position on Rennes’s first team. From that point forward, Dembélé embraced his role as a professional footballer, signing his first contract.
Following his impressive debut performances with Rennes, Dembélé caught the eye not only of the French league but also of major clubs, renowned coaches, players, and scouts worldwide. Starting in 2016, the young French striker began to be compared to established stars. In no time, Dembélé rose to become one of the most promising and sought-after young talents in the football market.
In May 2016, Dembélé inked a five-year deal with Borussia Dortmund. The transfer fee for bringing the Frenchman to the German club was €35 million. During the 2016/17 season, he helped the “Bees” secure the German Cup.
The next chapter of Dembélé’s career saw him join the Spanish club Barcelona in August 2017 on a five-year contract. The total transfer fee amounted to €147 million, with a €400 million release clause, marking his move to Barça as the fourth most expensive transfer in football history. Between September 2017 and January 2018, Dembélé was sidelined due to one of his first injuries. However, by the summer of 2018, he was part of the French national team that triumphed at the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Dembélé participated in four matches during the tournament, and in the final, France emerged victorious over Croatia with a 4-2 win.
Injuries were a frequent challenge for Ousmane during his time at Barcelona, as he faced numerous setbacks over a span of two years. However, in the last two seasons in La Liga, Dembélé remained fit and became a crucial member of the team. He was recognized as the league’s top assist provider and hailed as “the most important player” by both the management and coach. With the Catalan club, Dembélé secured three Spanish League titles, two Spanish Cups, and two Spanish Super Cups.
French club Paris Saint-Germain signed Ousmane Dembélé on August 12, 2023, for €50 million while he was still contracted to Barcelona. Currently playing for PSG, he has already won two Ligue 1 titles, a French Cup, and a French Super Cup. During the 2024/25 season, he claimed the UEFA Champions League trophy, finishing as one of the tournament’s top four scorers with eight goals. In August 2025, Dembélé lifted the UEFA Super Cup, earning the Man of the Match accolade.
At the time of publication, Ousmane Dembélé is 28 years old. The trophies mentioned earlier are not his first and certainly won’t be his last. On September 22, 2025, the 69th annual Ballon d’Or awards ceremony concluded, celebrating the world’s top football talent. Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé was awarded the 2025 Ballon d’Or, earning the title of the world’s best footballer.
In the voting, Dembélé secured first place, surpassing notable players such as Lewandowski, Vinicius, Kane, Quartzhelia, Pedri, Donarumma, Mbappé, Rafinha, Salah, Vitinho, Yamal, and other esteemed footballers. He became the sixth Frenchman in history to win the Golden Ball, marking the first individual award of his career.
Below is a list of Dembélé’s trophies and titles with his clubs and the French national team:
Borussia Dortmund
- German Cup Winner: 2016/17
Barcelona
- Spanish Champion (3): 2017/18, 2018/19, 2022/23
- Spanish Cup Winner (2): 2017/18, 2020/21
- Spanish Super Cup Winner (2): 2018, 2022/23
Paris Saint-Germain
- French Champion (2): 2023/24, 2024/25
- French Cup Winner (2): 2023/24, 2024/25
- French Super Cup Winner (2): 2023, 2024
- UEFA Champions League Winner: 2024/25
- UEFA Super Cup Winner: 2025
French National Team
- World Champion: 2018
- World Cup Silver Medalist: 2022
- UEFA Nations League Bronze Medalist: 2024/25
Usman loved video games and was a nerd, but gave it up
Not many people are aware of this, but just before winning the Ballon d’Or, Ousmane Dembélé was known as one of the most prominent football gamers. According to sources close to him, he would often play PlayStation until the early hours of the morning, sometimes as late as 2:00 or 4:00 a.m., attending or skipping training, only to pick up the controller again the next night. Occasionally, Dembélé would indulge in fast food during his late-night gaming sessions at home.
Dembélé enjoyed spending hours on games like FIFA (now EA FC), PES (now eFootball), NBA 2K, as well as Fortnite and Call of Duty. Beyond sports simulators, battle royale games, and shooters, Ousmane was also a fan of Football Manager. For instance, during the French national team’s dominance, his time spent playing this football management simulator with teammate Antoine Griezmann sparked considerable discussion online.
Interestingly, Dembélé’s gaming addiction and missed training sessions are regarded as one of the most challenging periods in his life. The height of this addiction is linked to his stint at Barcelona, during which rumors circulated that his love for video games nearly resulted in his sale from the club.
According to some sources, the Frenchman seriously contemplated altering his habits when his performance started to suffer. The results seem evident, but for now, he is keeping his relationship with video games private.
Finally, let’s examine Ousmane Dembélé’s latest card in EA FC 26 (formerly FIFA), the newest installment of EA’s renowned football series. Over the past five or six years, his in-game rating has climbed from 84 (FIFA 20) to 90 (EA FC 26). Currently, Dembélé ranks among the top five players in EA FC 26 and is one of the top two strikers, second only to Mbappé. The Frenchman is a master of trickery and possesses the following talents:
- Agility+ (enhanced dribbling speed with reduced error when maneuvering)
- Precise Pass (rapid, low passes without affecting the recipient’s control)
- Ingenuity (high accuracy for stylish passes and backheel plays)
- Powerful Low Shot (improved execution, accuracy, speed, and ball trajectory for powerful low shots)
- Speed Walker (boosted acceleration during explosive sprints)
- Trickery (unique special moves involving advanced ball control)
Below are the main strengths and weaknesses of Dembélé’s stats in EA FC 26:
Ousmane Dembélé’s Pros and Cons in EA FC 26
Strengths:
- Positioning: 95
- Dribbling: 94
- Ball Control: 94
- Agility: 94
- Acceleration: 93
- Shot Power: 91
- Reaction: 91
- Finishing: 90
Weaknesses:
- Strength: 69
- Aggression: 58
- Defensive Awareness: 49
- Defensive Positioning: 49
- Interceptions: 45
- Tackling: 39
Interestingly, Dembélé himself wasn’t entirely pleased with his new card. This stems from his defensive stats—as per his own account, he dedicates much of his playing time to defense, yet these numbers seem to tell a different story. Don’t forget to share not only your thoughts on the Golden Cup but also your opinions on Dembélé in the comments. Stay tuned!
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