- Frenchman moved to Camp Nou in 2017
- Spent four seasons alongside Argentine GOAT
- Hoping to win his own Golden Ball
France international Dembele is a World Cup and Champions League winner, but he could soon be recognised as the best player on the planet. His exploits in 2024-25 are considered to make him a serious contender to collect a prestigious Golden Ball.
Such success felt a long way off when experiencing form and fitness issues at Barcelona. The 28-year-old did, however, have the perfect mentor at Camp Nou. Dembele linked up with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi when joining Barca from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. He was handed a locker next to the Argentine GOAT.
Dembele made a point of taking as many lessons as possible from Messi, telling FourFourTwo of his experiences in Catalunya: “I had a very good relationship with Messi from the very first day. My locker was right next to his, and he gave a lot of advice to me. He was someone who instinctively knew what you wanted. He told me that I’d have to be serious if I wanted to achieve my dreams – after that, I watched and learned from what he did on the pitch.
“Whether he played as a number 10 or number nine, his positioning was exceptional, the way he seemed to make himself invisible on the pitch. Sometimes you don’t seem to see him for about four or five minutes, then as soon as he gets the ball, he instinctively knows what to do.
“Messi would know when Jordi Alba was going to double up front with him, when he was going to put the ball in. He understands football really well, positions himself very well on the pitch and you know – we all know – what he can do with his feet.”
Dembele and Messi made 95 appearances together for Barca across four seasons, prior to the latter’s departure for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and the Frenchman added when asked if he will one day tell his two-year-old daughter about playing alongside the all-time great: “I am already telling her now!”
Dembele hit 35 goals for PSG across all competitions last season, helping them to a domestic treble and the Champions League crown. He will be hoping to walk off with the Ballon d’Or when the 2025 ceremony takes place on September 22.
