Dembélé praises Lamine and is honest about the Ballon d'Or

Ousmane Dembélé closed his best season as a professional by lifting the treble with Paris Saint-Germain. After the departure of Kylian Mbappé, the 'Mosquito' assumed the leadership of the Parisian attack, with 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 matches and a remarkable second half of the season.

Although he finished the season with a muscular injury that will prevent him from playing in the group stage of the Club World Cup, 'Dembouz' has no doubts about his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or. In an interview with the organizer of the award, 'France Football', the 28-year-old winger made it clear that it will be difficult to win it, but logically he dreams of it.

"Winning a Ballon d'Or when you are a footballer is, obviously, the holy grail at an individual level. It is something you dream of as a child."

"To begin with, I hope to be among the 30 nominees. I have had difficult years with injuries, poor performances as well. This season I think I have been consistent, so we will see what happens. It would already be exceptional to have my name on the list. And being one of the favorites is already a great victory, although I hope to win it someday," explained Ousmane.

Dembélé praises Lamine and avoids talking about Ballon d'Or favorites

In that sense, the Vernon native was asked about his opinion of Lamine Yamal, with whom he shared several months at FC Barcelona and who is supposedly his main rival for the Ballon d'Or this year.

"They were already talking about him from a very young age in Barcelona. When he arrived at the professional team, we understood that he was exceptional and took on another dimension. In training, he dribbled, assisted, scored," recalled the Frenchman.

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Therefore, he believes that both he and Lamine and other players have the conditions to win the Ballon d'Or, because in the end everything depends on the criteria of the journalists who vote. In his case, he defines himself as a footballer who tries to give a show.

"I like to dribble, but I am also someone who helps the team a lot, who wants to score goals and assist. Then, everyone thinks what they want and votes what they want. If you like Ousmane Dembélé, great; if not, life goes on. We'll see," he pointed out.

Dembélé's change of mentality after leaving Barça

On the other hand, the '10' of Paris again referred to his time at Barça. The winger resorted to self-criticism, recalling that, due to his youth, he was probably not professional enough during his time at the Blaugrana team.

Now, Dembélé works much more on his physique, even during his days off, a key factor to avoid the injuries that haunted him during his time as a 'culé'.

"I arrived there young, I played from 20 to 26 years old, I had many physical problems. I learned a lot, it helped me. Now I know my body much better and that is why I get injured less. I know when I am well, but also when I need to slow down, dose in training," argued the 'Mosquito'.

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Now, the 28-year-old striker will try to overcome his discomfort in his left thigh to reach at least the KO phase of the Club World Cup. Paris debuts this Sunday against Atlético de Madrid and, afterwards, will face Botafogo of Brazil and the Seattle Sounders of the United States.

"Before, I would go home, play NBA 2K, watch a little TV. I was also younger, it's normal."