Ballon d'Or 2025: Messi and Ronaldinho congratulate Ousmane Dembélé

Argentine legend Lionel Messi has reacted to the crowning of his former teammate at Fc Barcelona , Ousmane Dembélé, who has been named the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner.

On his official Instagram account, the Inter Miami captain commented on Dembélé's post:
"Big Ous. Congratulations, I'm so happy for you. You deserve it."

On September 22, the 28-year-old Frenchman was awarded the coveted trophy by France Football magazine, edging out young Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal. The PSG forward received his Ballon d'Or from the hands of Brazilian legend Ronaldinho.

Ronaldinho congratulates Dembélé

Through his official (X) account, the Brazilian star also sent his congratulations:

"Congratulations to Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí for their Ballon d'Or wins, as well as to all the players—men and women—who were honored or nominated. You are the present and the future of football."

With this triumph, Dembélé joins the elite circle of French football legends, becoming the sixth French player to win the Ballon d'Or after Michel Platini (three-time winner 1983-1985), Raymond Kopa (1958), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991), Zinedine Zidane (1998), and Karim Benzema (2022).

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Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.