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Swati Bhatia

'It brought tears to my eyes' - Dayot Upamecano reveals emotional reaction to seeing old school friend Ousmane Dembele win Ballon d'Or

Seeing Ousmane Dembele lift the 2025 Ballon d’Or was a deeply emotional moment for Dayot Upamecano. The Bayern Munich defender, who grew up with the Paris Saint-Germain star in Evreux, admitted that watching his France teammate and childhood friend crowned the best player in the world after a sensational season brought him to tears.

  • Emotional Upamecano hails Dembele

    In an interview with Le Parisien, Upamecano shared his pride and emotion at seeing his France teammate and long time friend win the prestigious Ballon d’Or. The 28-year-old forward was crowned the winner on September 22 in Paris, beating competition from Barcelona winger Yamine Lamal and PSG teammate Vitinha. Dembele capped off a dream 2024-25 season, scoring 35 goals and providing 14 assists while helping PSG win Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League.

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    From schoolyard rivals to world recognition

    Upamecano spoke about how far the PSG star has come and how happy he was seeing his schoolyard rival lift the prestigious trophy. "We went to the same school, we played on the same pitches, I played against him in CM1-CM2.

    "Honestly, I don't have the words! We all knew he would become a great player, but still... When I saw him lift the Ballon d'Or, it brought tears to my eyes. I should have been there for the ceremony, but I couldn't come. Seeing him thank his mother, his family, his friends, Moustapha, everyone who was there... It was a magnificent moment."

  • Bayern star says early days with Dembele as among the best of his life

    The 26-year-old defender described those early days in Evreux as some of the best of his life. 

    "When you play with your friends, it’s an adventure," he said. "In Evreux, everyone comes together - African, Turkish, everyone’s happy. That’s what makes it special. Having a Ballon d’Or winner from our region is a great source of pride."

  • Dembele PSG, esultanza vs Bayern

    Dembele continues to recover from hamstring injury

    The French star is currently recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during international duty in September. PSG were furious with the French federation’s handling of his and Desire Doue’s injuries and issued a public statement in protest. According to L’Equipe, Dembele will return to Clairefontaine next week to continue his rehabilitation after treatment in Doha. He has already missed six matches for PSG, including one against former club Barcelona. However, the French champions have continued to shine in his absence, winning their Champions League opener against Barcelona and sitting top of the Ligue 1 table with five wins from seven matches.