BUDAPEST, Hungary — Ousmane Dembélé has announced that he is fit to compete in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final against Arsenal this Saturday. He emphasized that winning significant titles with the Ligue 1 champions surpasses the joy of last year’s Ballon d’Or.
Dembélé, 29, had raised concerns about his availability for the match after suffering an injury that limited him to just 27 minutes in PSG’s last league game against Paris FC two weeks prior.
After dealing with a calf injury—his second of the season—the forward for France reassured fans that he is ready to contribute as PSG seeks to defend the title they claimed last year with a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Munich.
“I wasn’t worried about missing the final,” Dembélé told reporters. “I had a slight issue [against Paris FC], so I decided to stop playing to ensure I would be fit for the final.”
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“It’s been a long season without much rest since the Club World Cup, but the staff has managed the workload well.”
“Personally, I feel 100% ready to play and I’m optimistic about how things will go tomorrow.”
Concerns were also raised about the condition of defender Achraf Hakimi, who has not played since April 28 due to a right thigh injury sustained in a semifinal match against Bayern Munich.
However, the attacking right-back, recently called up by Morocco for the World Cup, was later seen training on Tuesday and given a clean bill of health by PSG coach Luis Enrique, who stated Hakimi is “OK and able to play tomorrow.”
Dembélé’s contributions, which included eight goals during PSG’s Champions League campaign last season, played a key role in him clinching the Ballon d’Or, but he maintains that the joy of winning with his team outweighs individual accolades. He insists that the personal achievement has not altered his perspective.
“The Ballon d’Or didn’t change anything about me—how I play or who I am,” Dembélé shared.
“I now have more responsibility, which comes with experience. My goal is to excel in both major and smaller matches.”
“Nothing has changed; my desire to win with the team and coaching staff remains strong.”
“Individual awards may spark discussions, but they are secondary. My priority is to secure victories for PSG and keep our fans delighted.”
“We aspire to reach the Champions League final every May; we made history by winning it for the first time last year, but we’ve since reset our objectives.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.