AGENCIES

If someone had told Ousmane Dembele at the start of the 2024/25 season that he’d be PSG’s top scorer, Ligue 1’s Golden Boot winner, and leading the line as a central striker -- all while largely avoiding injury -- he might’ve laughed it off.

But now, 33 goals later, that unthinkable script has turned into a blockbuster season for the 27-year-old Frenchman.

From a mercurial winger often plagued by fitness setbacks to a clinical, high-output centre-forward, Dembele’s transformation has been nothing short of remarkable.

“I don’t know if I’m in my prime,” he told FIFA.com. “But I do feel like I’m playing well this season. I’m much more clinical. It’s all because of my new role.”

His reinvention has given Paris Saint-Germain more than just goals -- it’s injected belief into a team chasing a historic treble.

With the Ligue 1 title already secured, Dembele now stares down three final hurdles: the French Cup final against Reims on May 24, the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, and the inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in the United States next month.

“This [Club] World Cup will be really special,” Dembele said. “It comes just before the World Cup for the national teams. It’s going to be massive and we can’t wait to get there.”

Credit, he’s quick to add, also belongs to PSG coach Luis Enrique. “The coach has always believed in me since the day I arrived,” said Dembele. “He shared his plans for me as a player. He has every bit of confidence in me, and I try to pay him back on the pitch.”

Now, as he prepares to lead PSG into the most crucial stretch of the season, Dembele is inspired by legends, particularly one from the basketball world.

“Michael Jordan is the greatest in my opinion,” he said. “His leadership and all the trophies he has won -- I saw everything he did in The Last Dance. He was incredible.”

And when asked about the footballing icon he’d dream of playing alongside, Dembele didn’t hesitate: “Zinedine Zidane. He is France’s greatest player of all time. Technically gifted, and I believe he would have provided me with excellent opportunities.”

Much like Zidane before him, Dembele now carries French hopes -- and PSG’s -- on the global stage. With silverware in sight and history within grasp, the boy who once couldn’t stay fit now looks like the man made for the moment.