“Fatimata Dembélé (Ousmane’s mother): “I’m not someone who shows off, I prefer to stay discreet. When I go to see my son at the stadium, I can be in the middle of the crowd without anyone knowing I’m Ousmane’s mom. I don’t have a big head about it.
“Since he was little, football has been the only thing on his mind. Ousmane didn’t like school; he attended general classes, but what he loved above all was playing. He was always with his ball; sometimes I’d send him to the supermarket, we’d take the cart, and he’d still be with his ball.
“When he realized his dream of signing with Barcelona and playing there, we had talked about it when he was very young, and in the end, he succeeded. It touched me. I remember the day he told me: Mom, you’ll see, one day I’ll go play at Barcelona. He must have been 13, he wasn’t even at Rennes yet. I’ll always remember that.
“Paris was a second dream for him. Sooner or later, he thought he’d come back to play, to show his qualities in Paris. It was one of his dreams, and when he won the Champions League, I thought to myself, it’s normal because he’s always had that desire. It might seem strange, but nothing that happens to him surprises me.
“If I have a nice car today, it’s thanks to him. If we’re able to meet the needs of some people who are struggling, it’s thanks to him too… I worked hard to pay for his schools, his football, I always gave everything without thinking of myself, 200%, and today, Ousmane does the same for his mom. He takes care of me the way I took care of my parents. My life has changed, but I don’t live in extreme abundance. We remain simple people.
“What does it feel like to see Ousmane win the Ballon d’Or? Well, the Ballon d’Or is really something else (she’s at a loss for words). Even in his youth, we talked about Barcelona, his dreams, but the Ballon d’Or? We hadn’t gotten that far! Imagining my son as the best player in the world, well… And yet, I assure you, it doesn’t surprise me.”
