Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have praised their former teammate Ousmane Dembélé after he won the Ballon d’Or award on Monday.
Dembélé beat Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal to claim the award after an incredible season with Paris Saint-Germain.
He scored 35 goals and gave 14 assists in 53 matches, helping PSG win their first Champions League title, along with the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France trophies.
Mbappé, who left PSG for Real Madrid in 2024, was quick to congratulate him.
He wrote on Instagram: “Ousmane Dembélé, this is so exciting, my brother! You deserve it a thousand times.”
Mbappé, 26, finished seventh in this year’s ranking and has not yet won the Ballon d’Or himself. Messi, who has won it eight times, also celebrated Dembélé’s achievement.
The Argentine, who played with Dembélé at Barcelona, commented on Instagram in Spanish:
“Great Ous!!! Congratulations, I’m so happy for you. You deserve it.”
Dembélé moved to PSG in 2023, the same summer Messi left for Inter Miami.
In his acceptance speech, Dembélé thanked his former Barcelona teammates: “I learned so much there, playing alongside legends like Messi and Iniesta. It was a tremendous learning experience.
I am overjoyed when I see the list of legends who have won this award.”