Dembele's mother reveals the secret of the Golden Ball

French star Ousmane Dembélé, a player for Paris Saint-Germain, won the 2025 Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career, during the annual ceremony held on Monday evening in the French capital, Paris. On the sidelines of the historic coronation, his mother, Fatima, stole the spotlight with touching statements in which she revealed aspects of her son's childhood and the long journey that led him to global glory. Fatima said: "I am a reserved and quiet person. I do not show much, even when I go to the stands to watch Ousmane. I sit among the fans without anyone knowing that I am his mother." She continued talking about his early passion for football: "Ever since he was little, nothing occupied him but football. He did not like studying much, he only went to general classes, but what he truly loved was playing." She added with a warm smile: "Even for the simplest tasks, like going to the supermarket, he would carry his ball with him and never let it go. It was a part of him."