"Ousmane Dembélé knew the tears would come, inevitably. In the last few days, he thought long and hard about what would happen if his dream of winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or became reality. He talked about it many times with his best friend Moustapha Diatta, who was sat next to Fatoumata, his mum, and Moussa Sissoko, his agent at the ceremony on Monday night."
"Diatta knew the tears would come for him as well, and they did. Dembélé on the stage; Diatta in the audience. In his acceptance speech, Dembélé mentioned his BFF and how they grew up inseparable in the same block of flats of the "la Plaine" council estate in Evreux, 100 kilometres west of Paris. Dembélé lived on the fifth floor; Diatta the first. At all hours the pair played football with now-Bayern Munich center back Dayot Upamecano"
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d'Or at 28, completing a unique treble of World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or victories. He accepted the award emotionally with his mother, agent and childhood friend Moustapha Diatta present. Dembélé and Diatta grew up together on the "la Plaine" council estate in Evreux, playing football with Dayot Upamecano on a concrete square. The victory made Dembélé the sixth Frenchman to win the Ballon d'Or, joining Kopa, Platini, Papin, Zidane and Benzema. The trajectory reflects natural talent, perseverance, and a rise to a new level last season.
Read at ESPN.com
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