Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano has admitted that seeing Ousmane Dembele lift the 2025 Ballon d’Or brought him to tears.
Dembele was crowned the winner on September 22 in Paris, beating competition from Barcelona winger Yamine Lamal and PSG teammate Vitinha. The Frenchman capped off a dream 2024-25 season, scoring 35 goals and providing 14 assists while helping PSG win Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League.
While the football world have moved past the award ceremony, Upamecano during an interview with Le Parisien shared his pride and emotion at seeing his France teammate and long time friend win the award.
Ousmane Dembele poses with the Men’s Ballon d’Or trophy during the 69th Ballon D’Or Ceremony at Theatre Du Chatelet. (Photo by Kristy Sparow – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Upamecano spoke about how far the PSG star has come and how happy he was seeing his schoolyard rival lift the prestigious trophy. “We went to the same school, we played on the same pitches, I played against him in CM1-CM2.
“Honestly, I don’t have the words! We all knew he would become a great player, but still… When I saw him lift the Ballon d’Or, it brought tears to my eyes. I should have been there for the ceremony, but I couldn’t come. Seeing him thank his mother, his family, his friends, Moustapha, everyone who was there… It was a magnificent moment.”
The 26-year-old defender described those early days in Evreux alongside Dembele as some of the best of his life.
“When you play with your friends, it’s an adventure,” he said. “In Evreux, everyone comes together – African, Turkish, everyone’s happy. That’s what makes it special. Having a Ballon d’Or winner from our region is a great source of pride.”
Dembele is currently recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during international duty in September. He has so far missed six matches for PSG, including one against former club Barcelona.
According to L’Equipe, Dembele will return to Clairefontaine next week to continue his rehabilitation after treatment in Doha.
