Ousmane Dembélé Laughs Off Ballon d'Or Criticism

Ousmane Dembélé says the glare of the Ballon d'Or spotlight is bouncing right off him.

Since lifting the 2025 award, the Paris Saint-Germain winger has been hit with a wave of scrutiny, but he insists the criticism leaves no mark.

"I don't care about being criticised, it's part of the game," he told RMC in comments given to France Football. "You will always be criticised in football, and it increases when you are the holder of the Ballon d'Or."

He knows exactly why the noise has grown louder.

"I have won the biggest individual award, so I am now under the microscope more," he said. "This makes me laugh, you are constantly watched, but it doesn't bother me."

A new weight on every performance

The Ballon d'Or has changed one thing for Dembélé: the demands attached to every touch of the ball.

In 2025-2026, he played 40 matches for PSG in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and providing 11 assists. Strong numbers, but in his eyes the context has shifted. The margin for error has shrunk.

"You have to be strong all the time," he explained. "You have to put in a good performance in every match, otherwise everyone will start talking about you and criticising you. This is funny, but it doesn't change anything, the criticism will always be there."

The pressure has been sharpest on the biggest stage. Dembélé underlined that he raised his level when it mattered most, scoring in every Champions League game he played from the quarter-final second leg onwards.

"I was clearly better in the decisive moments, and that is important," he said. "Isn't that the number one criterion?"

He also pointed to early-season injuries that forced PSG’s coaching staff to manage his minutes, with one clear objective: keep him fresh for the key nights.

No obsession with staying on the throne

Despite the aura that comes with the Ballon d'Or, Dembélé refuses to treat it as something he must cling to.

He is not among the favourites to retain the trophy, and he sounds entirely at peace with that.

"This is football," he said. "The Ballon d'Or was never an obsession for me. It was a goal or a dream, yes, but it was never an obsession."

His stance on the next winner is just as relaxed.

"I hope the best player wins," he added.

Kvaratskhelia, Kane, Mbappé – but not Dembélé

When asked who he would crown this year, Dembélé did not hesitate. He went straight for a teammate.

His pick: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian star sharing the PSG dressing room with him.

Behind Kvaratskhelia, he named England captain Harry Kane and his former PSG colleague Kylian Mbappé to complete his personal top three.

Would he ever put his own name down?

"No, if I were the one choosing, I would not put myself on the list and I would not vote for myself," he replied.

It is a stance that sharply contrasts with Mbappé, who has openly said that if the choice were his, he would vote for himself in the Ballon d'Or race.

One Ballon d'Or winner laughs off the noise. Another would back himself without hesitation. The next vote will show which mindset the game rewards.