Overview

• Dembélé recounts Messi telling him to be serious if he wanted to achieve his dreams, prompting him to study the Argentine closely on and off the ball.
• He praises Messi's exceptional positioning and timing, highlighting the telepathic understanding with Jordi Alba as a model he tried to emulate.
• He notes his locker sat next to Messi's at Barcelona from 2017 to 2021, a proximity that brought regular guidance and support.
• After injury-disrupted early years at Barça, he is described by European media as in peak form with PSG and a leading contender for the next Ballon d'Or.
• He calls the Ballon d'Or the sport's Holy Grail, framing it as the ultimate individual prize for a footballer.