The rise of Melchie Dumornay: How Haiti's uber-talent came to lead Lyon's hopes of Women's Champions League glory

When GOAL spoke to Miquel midway through Dumornay's first season at Reims, she proclaimed that the talented teenager was "at 30 per cent of her level".

It seemed both believable and incomprehensible at the same time. After all, it was clear Dumornay had the potential to get better and better, to become, as Miquel said, one of the best in the world.

But the level she was already at was so high. Could it really be just 30% of her capacity?

As each season has passed, it is a statement that has looked more and more accurate because, every year, Dumornay has improved.

Game time at Reims was crucial. When making that move, her first abroad, Dumornay was regularly accosted by people in Haiti who wanted to know where she would sign when she turned 18. "So who is it? Paris Saint-Germain or Lyon?" they would ask.

"I know that it might disappoint some people in some way that I'm moving to Reims," Dumornay conceded at the time. "But people who know football will understand my decision. For the other people, it's okay. I will prove them wrong in the future."

It was in Reims, in the small city in France's Champagne region, that Dumornay could play regularly, make mistakes and improve. "She knew she would be in a good championship, but she would still be an important player and not just a substitute," Miquel noted.

After two years, 39 appearances and 23 goals, Dumornay got that move to Lyon that she, the club and the people of Haiti were awaiting. She had trialled with the eight-time European champions previously, before turning 18, and had always dreamed of playing for the dominant force in French women's football. It wouldn't take her long to realise that ambition.

If there were any doubts about Dumornay's ability to fit into OL's winning machine, or about how she might handle the pressure of such a step up, one only had to look at what happened in the summer of 2023, just before her first campaign in Lyon.

The star in Haiti's team, Dumornay had scored both goals as the Caribbean nation beat Chile 2-1 in the play-off tournament to reach the Women's World Cup for the very first time. There, despite the debutantes being huge underdogs in Australia, in a group with European champions England, Asian champions China and Euro 2017 runners-up Denmark, Haiti more than held their own in three competitive defeats, in which Dumornay always caught the eye.

Indeed, after facing the Lionesses, BBC Sport readers voted the then-19-year-old as the Player of the Match, despite England's 1-0 win. She was rising to the occasion, and growing as a leader in the process.

After starting her Lyon career with a bit of a bump, as an ankle injury forced her to sit on the sidelines for more than three months, Dumornay's trajectory at OL has been consistently upwards, too.

In that 2023-24 season, she returned just in time for the business end, scoring five goals and providing five assists in the 11 appearances that followed her comeback. Most crucial were the two goals and two assists across the Champions League semi-final with PSG, as Lyon ousted their domestic rivals in a 5-3 aggregate win to make the final.

It wasn't to be against Barcelona in the showpiece event. Dumornay led the line for OL but could only manage one shot in what was an underwhelming display from her side, when compared to the very solid performance by Barca.

Still, there were plenty of positives to take from her first season with Lyon. Aged 20, she had gone in and become a key player right away and bounced back from a significant obstacle brilliantly, to win two trophies.

"I always believed that if I'm in Lyon, I would progress every day," Dumornay told GOAL just before the 2024-25 season. "That's what's happening."

Her improvement has only continued in the time since. Over the last two years, it's hard to dispute that Dumornay has been one of the best players in the world, and arguably above everyone else at times.

"I must say, it's nice to have her as a team-mate," admitted Ingrid Engen, the Lyon defender who, during her time at Barcelona, was tasked with marking Dumornay in the 2024 UWCL final. "She's definitely a threat and someone I really had to try to manage as well as possible in that game. She's very difficult to manage because she has this strength, she has the power, she has the technique - she has it all, really."

Under Jonatan Giraldez, the former Barca boss who took over at Lyon at the start of this season, Dumornay's position has changed, too, and it feels like that is getting even more out of her.

Having been much further forward in the previous two campaigns, often in the areas occupied by a classic No.9, the Haiti international is now back in midfield, whether it is as a No.10 or a little deeper. It's the position she has always preferred to play in, "because I want to be everywhere".

It has led to a more involved Dumornay and the impact that has had on Lyon's performances is noteworthy. Her touches per game are higher than ever before, in the league and the Champions League, meaning she's also increased the number of key passes she plays. "We know that Melchie is one of the best players in the world," Giraldez said earlier this season. "We have to find her as many times as possible."

It's a simple equation: The more Dumornay is on the ball, the greater chance of success Lyon have. Of course, OL have a team with world-class quality all over the pitch, but when you have someone who is playing at a potentially Ballon d'Or-worthy level, getting them involved as much as possible has to be a priority. "A No.9 only gets the chance to do very specific things," Giraldez said this week. "I think she's very capable of doing different things."

Best of all, the Lyon boss knows the peak of her game is still to come. Dumornay has clearly progressed plenty since Miquel declared her to be at 30% of her potential four years ago, but 100% has not yet been reached - and she is still playing this well.

"This is not the top," Giraldez agreed, speaking ahead of Saturday's final. While the present remains incredible, and could well make the difference as Lyon go for European glory in Oslo, the future is somehow even brighter for Dumornay. This really is only the start.