Lionel Messi's assessment of a young Ousmane Dembele has re-emerged after the French winger inspired Paris Saint-Germain to their first ever Champions League title over Inter Milan. While not getting on the scoresheet, the 28-year-old was in sensational form, setting up his teammates twice en route to a record-breaking 5-0 victory.
As a result of the European triumph, Dembele has now made himself the frontrunner to win this year's Ballon d'Or, despite never being nominated for the award previously. While it has taken some time, it is safe to say that the forward has lived up to the potential his teenage self had, which makes Messi's comments back when he first joined Barcelona all the more interesting.
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Messi's Praise of Dembele Vindicated
The Argentine's prediction may end up being spot on
After impressing at both Stade Rennais and Borussia Dortmund, a then 20-year-old Dembele would make the move to Camp Nou in a monstrous £135.5 million deal in 2017. By 2018, things had already shown signs that they weren't exactly going to plan, but as per talkSPORT, Messi continued to back the budding star, saying:
"On the pitch (Dembele) is a phenomenon and it depends on him (how good he becomes). He has all the opportunity in the world to do what he wants. He can be one of the best. On the other hand, he's a young guy who is adapting to the city and the club. The less you speak about it, the better. It's necessary to leave him so he can be calm.
"He has already realised his mistakes and has rectified them. We are going to help him focus on football."
Though the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's proclamation appears to be coming true, it never did at Barcelona. Recurring injuries and inconsistent form meant that Dembele never reached the heights hoped of him, scoring just 40 times in 185 appearances.
He moved to PSG in 2023 and under Luis Enrique, his fortunes have changed dramatically. As a result of his brilliant season, he is just one goal away from matching his tally in Spain, despite playing less than half the number of games. He was effectively the replacement for Messi at the Stade de Princes, and he has more than filled the void left by the magical Argentine.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 01/06/2025.