{"id":163406,"date":"2025-09-23T12:06:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T12:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/163406\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T12:06:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T12:06:07","slug":"ballon-dor-mbappe-messi-congratulate-dembele-on-triumph","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/163406\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballon d’Or: Mbapp\u00e9, Messi congratulate Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 on triumph"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/a> and Lionel Messi<\/a> congratulated their former club teammate Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9<\/a> after he won the Ballon d’Or award on Monday.<\/p>\n

Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 beat Barcelona<\/a>‘s Lamine Yamal<\/a> to lift the prestigious individual trophy<\/a> after an impressive season with Paris Saint-Germain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The France<\/a> forward scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists in 53 games to help PSG win their first Champions League<\/a> as well as winning the Ligue 1<\/a> title and the Coupe de France<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mbapp\u00e9, who left PSG in the summer of 2024 <\/a>after seven years at the club to join Real Madrid<\/a>, was among the first to congratulate his France teammate.<\/p>\n

“Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9. It’s so exciting, my brother! You deserve it 1000 times,” Mbapp\u00e9 wrote on his Instagram<\/a> minutes after Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 was handed the award.<\/p>\n

Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 won the 69th Ballon d’Or award ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.\u00a0Kristy Sparow – UEFA\/UEFA via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Mbapp\u00e9, 26, who has yet to win a Ballon d’Or, finished seventh in this year’s edition.<\/p>\n

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, was also thrilled to see Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 get the recognition he deserves.<\/p>\n

– The Henry-like switch that helped Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 win the Ballon d’Or<\/a>
– Demb\u00e9l\u00e9’s Ballon d’Or win feels like the dawn of a new era<\/a>
– Marseille stun PSG, end champion’s perfect Ligue 1 start<\/a><\/p>\n

Messi spent four seasons with Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 at Barcelona before the Argentinian star moved to PSG in 2021.<\/p>\n

The Inter Miami captain left a comment in Spanish on Demb\u00e9l\u00e9’s Instagram<\/a> and wrote: “Great Ous!!! Congratulations I’m so happy for you. You deserve it.”<\/p>\n

Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, who moved to PSG in 2023<\/a> from Barcelona in the same transfer window that saw Messi leave the French giants to join Inter Miami<\/a>, mentioned his former Bar\u00e7a teammate during his acceptance speech.<\/p>\n

“I learned so much there [at Barcelona], playing alongside players like Messi and [Andres] Iniesta,” he said on Monday.<\/p>\n

“It was a great learning experience. I am so happy, when I see the list of legends who have won this award.”<\/p>\n