Former forward of Kyiv’s “Dynamo” Igor Belanov, the winner of the “Ballon d’Or” in 1986, shared his thoughts on awarding this honor in 2025 to midfielder of the French PSG and the French national team Ousmane Dembélé.
Igor Belanov— The recognition is well-deserved. The “Ballon d’Or” has gone to a person who has achieved great success with his team. As part of PSG, he has won all the main trophies — the championship, the Cup and the Super Cup in France, the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup. This team and its play are simply “explosive”! It reminds me of Kyiv’s “Dynamo” in the mid-80s.
PSG played very interestingly and unusually, and Ousmane Dembélé truly shone in its squad. I can state unequivocally: everything is deserved. Finally, there is some fairness. Now people’s contributions are valued correctly, rather than based on money or other metrics. I am very glad that this French player has joined the ranks of “Ballon d’Or” winners.
— What do you say about Ousmane Dembélé?
— Dembélé is a story! A story that has made a great impact in football during the 2024/25 season. The guys from PSG won everything they could, losing only in one match — the final of the Club World Cup in the USA. And everywhere Dembélé was the leader. I was sure they would choose him.
And I can once again confirm that the choice is absolutely correct. Dembélé is an excellent player. He scored many goals in various tournaments that “Paris Saint-Germain” participated in. And let Ousmane not forget to express gratitude to all the teammates who played alongside him. Much of his trophy is also their merit. In this regard, Dembélé is similar to me: in 1986, as a player of “Dynamo” and the USSR national team, and in 2025, he wouldn’t have won anything if it weren’t for our teammates. We should not forget the contribution to Ousmane’s success by the head coach of “Paris Saint-Germain,” the Spaniard Luis Enrique.
Vyacheslav Kulchytsky
