Dembélé reveals Leo Messi's advice that brings him closer to the Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembélé had a dream season in which he managed to win the treble (league, cup and Champions League), being a key figure and standing out in a Paris Saint-Germain whose most outstanding quality is the associated game system that the coach Luis Enrique has established.

The magazine 'Four Four Two' interviewed the 28-year-old player, who spoke about his time at FC Barcelona, as well as the advice given to him by Lionel Messi, which allowed an evolution in his professional perspective after several seasons affected by muscle injuries.

Messi's advice that boosted Dembélé's change of mentality

"I always had a great relationship with Messi, from day one. My locker was right next to his and he gave me a lot of advice. He was someone who instinctively knew what you needed. For me, he is the greatest, he is a player who inspires me,” Dembélé began by saying.

He later also stated: "Messi told me to be serious if I wanted to achieve my dreams. After that, I started to observe and learn from what he did on the field." When the 'Mosquito' left for PSG in 2023, Leo did the same by signing for Inter Miami.

Dembélé: from an inconsistent spell at Barcelona to Ballon d'Or candidate

However, Messi and Dembélé were teammates for four seasons in Barcelona, from 2017 to 2021, years in which the Argentine left for Paris. 'Dembouz' completed outstanding performances in the Blaugrana team, however, he also had very inconsistent seasons as a result of continuous injuries and lack of confidence.

With the Catalan team he managed to play 185 games scoring 40 goals and giving 41 assists in six seasons. In his record there were three Leagues, two Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups.

After his irregular performance in Barcelona, the '10' of the Parisian team would be reborn at the hands of Luis Enrique in the 2023/2024 season and would help him consolidate himself as one of the best players in the world in 2024/2025, scoring 33 goals and giving 15 assists in 49 games.

Later the Club World Cup would be played where he would manage to score 2 more goals and give an assist in 4 games. Unfortunately for the winger, his team would lose the final against Chelsea (3-0), being the only competition of the year that they would not be able to lift last year.

Today the native of Vernon is one of the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or due to his great performance last season, so he would go from living very difficult moments in Spain to shining at the level of the greatest in Europe.

Luis Enrique's confidence, key to Dembélé's 'rebirth'

"In Paris I have a lot of confidence in Luis Enrique. He gave me total freedom on the field. Before the Champions League final, people shouted at me: 'Ballon d'Or!'. It is the Holy Grail of football, at an individual level there is nothing better for a footballer," said Ousmane.

Now Dembélé is seen with more confidence and encouraged and it is always positive to see a player happy performing on the field of play, the Spanish strategist has given him a total makeover with the new role that he has established for him to occupy as a center forward or false '9' in PSG.

Beyond his change and evolution in France, the French international does not forget Leo Messi and the advice that, after years of irregularity, have allowed him to make the definitive leap to the elite as one of the best footballers on the planet.