PSG star Ousmane Dembele chooses the greatest player of all time

Ousmane Dembele is enjoying a strong run with Paris Saint-Germain, who already sealed their Ligue 1 title. The French winger has been one of the team’s most effective players this season, scoring 32 goals across all competitions. However, the 27-year-old didn’t hesitate to reflect on his time at Barcelona, praising Lionel Messi as the greatest player of all time.

“I love playing for this PSG team, it’s a pleasure,” Dembele said when asked whether this was the best team he had ever played for, during a press conference ahead of the second leg of PSG’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Aston Villa.

“I don’t know if this is the best team I’ve played in, since I also played at Barça with Messi, who’s the best player ever. But it’s definitely one of the teams I’ve enjoyed being part of the most,” he added.

Messi and Dembele played together at Barcelona from 2017, when the Frenchman arrived for a staggering €105 million, until Messi’s departure in 2021. During their time together, they won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, and one Supercopa de España.

Messi and Dembele celebrate together during a La Liga match (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Despite their domestic success, Dembele was often criticized during his Barcelona stint, largely due to recurring injuries and the team’s failures in Europe. He eventually left for PSG in 2023, just a year after signing a contract extension with the Spanish club.

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Dembele is chasing his first Champions League title

After experiencing some of Barcelona’s most difficult defeats in the Champions League, he’ll be aiming to help PSG reach the semi-finals when they travel to Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The Parisians carry a 3-1 lead from the first leg, with the winners set to face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the final four. Beyond their European campaign, PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title, remaining unbeaten throughout the season.