sports
December 20, 2025
Ousmane Dembélé quietly becomes the main man after long journey to the top
The Frenchman, who has been named the best male footballer in the world by the Guardian, has benefitted from PSG’s focus on the team rather than individuals
TL;DR
- Ousmane Dembélé, identified early for intangible attributes like resilience and adaptability, has been voted the best male footballer in the world by the Guardian.
- Dembélé's career path was not always linear, featuring a difficult six-year spell at Barcelona marked by injuries and inconsistent performance.
- At Paris Saint-Germain, under a team-first philosophy implemented by Luis Enrique, Dembélé has flourished, becoming a key player who dictates the game's tempo and demonstrates ruthless finishing.
- His playing style at PSG involves deep positioning to draw defenders, facilitating playmaking and subsequent runs into the box to score, a tactic effective even when anticipated by opponents.
- Thomas Tuchel categorized Dembélé as 'curious-motivated', a player whose talent requires a specific coaching approach to reach their full potential.
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