Who is Ousmane Dembélé?

by Iliyan Hoskins, age 12

Ousmane Dembélé is a French soccer player. Through his determination and training, he's become one of the best soccer players in the world.

Dembélé was born in Vernon, Normandy, on May 15, 1997. He began soccer at a young age. His talent and skills caught the eye of many coaches and clubs. He started his youth career at Évereux FC 27 before joining Stade Rennais FC youth academy in 2010.

On September 6th, 2015, Dembélé made his professional debut for Rennes' first team in Ligue 1. He played for one season before being signed by Borussia Dortmund in 2016. After a season at Borussia Dortmund, he was signed by FC Barcelona in 2017. His transfer fee was €148 million. During the 2017 season, he was injured many times but showed his true talent later. He was a key player who helped their team win the Copa del Rey final.

During his time there, he was not meeting the club’s expectations. In 2023, he returned to France and signed with Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG) for a team fee of €50.4 million. He signed a contract with PSG till June 2028. In the 24-25 season, he experienced a comeback in his career and won a domestic treble, scoring 33 goals across all competitions and the most prolific campaign of his career. All of this hard work won him the Ballon d'Or, an annual football award by the French news magazine, honoring the best male and female player throughout the season. He had a close match for the Ballon d’Or against Lamine Yamal, but Ousmane Dembélé ultimately won due to his exceptional season.

Ousmane Dembélé married Rima Edbouche in December 2021, and they have a daughter. He grew up in a family of soccer players. His parents are from Mali, but before he was born, they moved to France. His father, Seydou Dembélé, played soccer at the amateur level, but his older brother, Yassine Dembélé, played professionally in France.

Ousmane Dembélé will continue to dominate with his club. With his exceptional performance, he won the best player of the season and is one of the best soccer players in the world.

[Source: Sportskeeda]