Paris Saint‑Germain and France winger Ousmane Dembélé has launched a passionate defence of Lionel Messi’s enduring greatness, insisting the 38‑year‑old Argentine remains football’s most terrifying presence – and warning that no one should be surprised if Argentina lift the World Cup again.
PARIS — Nearly four years after Lionel Messi left European football for Major League Soccer, his former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembélé believes the world is still underestimating him.
In a candid interview, the 29‑year‑old French international declared that Messi remains – without question – the finest player he has ever witnessed, and that his supernatural football intelligence defies the passage of time.
“People keep asking me who the best player I’ve ever seen is. For me, the answer has never changed: Lionel Messi,” Dembélé said.
“I’ve played with great players, against great players and watched some incredible footballers throughout my career. But Messi is different.”
‘Defenders Still Panic’
Messi, now 38 and plying his trade at Inter Miami, has long been written off by critics who point to his age and his move away from the elite European stage. Since lifting the World Cup for Argentina in Qatar 2022 – arguably completing his legacy – many assumed the eight‑time Ballon d’Or winner was coasting towards retirement.
Dembélé, who shared a dressing room with Messi at Barcelona between 2017 and 2021, insists that assumption is dangerously wrong.
“He’s 38 now, yet every time he gets the ball, defenders still panic. That’s what makes him special,” Dembélé said. “Speed can fade, strength can fade, but football intelligence and quality never disappear.”
The French winger, now a key figure at Paris Saint‑Germain after leaving Barcelona in 2023, expressed bewilderment at the narrative that Messi is a diminished force.
“What surprises me most is that people still talk about him as if he’s finished. Then he steps onto the pitch and reminds everyone who he is.”
Another World Cup? ‘No One Should Be Shocked’
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico just weeks away, Argentina will defend their crown. Messi, who would be 39 by the tournament’s final, has not ruled out participation – and Dembélé believes that alone should frighten rivals.
“If Argentina win the World Cup again, I don’t think anyone should be shocked,” he said. “Because as long as Messi is on the field, the game is never completely under control for the opposition.”
Dembélé’s tribute echoed a familiar refrain among those who have played alongside the Argentine maestro: that his genius operates on a plane beyond athleticism alone.
“There are great players, there are legends, and then there’s Messi,” Dembélé concluded.
A Legacy That Refuses to Fade
While Messi’s former Barcelona teammate and long‑time rival Cristiano Ronaldo has also continued into his late 30s – now at Al‑Nassr in Saudi Arabia – it is Messi’s football intellect that Dembélé believes sets him apart.
As the football world turns its attention to the expanded 48‑team World Cup, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has kept his squad announcement close to his chest. But if Messi is included, Dembélé’s message to the rest of the world is simple: be afraid.
For now, the eight‑time Ballon d’Or winner continues to dazzle in MLS, most recently scoring a free‑kick golazo for Inter Miami. But as Dembélé’s words make clear, the true stage – and Messi’s final, haunting act – may yet lie ahead.
