Ousmane, congratulations on winning the Ballon d'Or! How did you experience this crazy day?
"It was amazing! I started the day by coming here to Campus PSG, where I trained until 3pm, then I went to get ready for the event. It was a wonderful evening. When I arrived, there were practically only Paris Saint-Germain fans, so as soon as I got out of the car, it was incredible. They were making a lot of noise! It was wonderful to experience it all with everyone from the Club who was there and with my family."
Tell us about the moment you heard your name!
"I hadn't been told anything beforehand. I tried to find out, but no one would tell me anything! They kept the secret well because it was a magical moment. Just before the announcement, Ronaldinho looked at me and smiled, and I knew it was going to be good! When he said my name, I felt so proud. It was an incredible moment. Gigio gave me a hug, Désiré, Lamine and João congratulated me... Afterwards, when you walk up the steps, you feel really happy. As soon as I got on stage, I saw all these people, my whole family was there, my friends from Évreux too... It was incredible."
Your town was very proud of you...
"I am so proud and happy. These are the people I grew up with, and it is truly incredible. I am pleased to make them proud. I grew up with them, and whenever I have the opportunity to visit Évreux, I see them. They also come to the Parc des Princes very often to watch Paris Saint-Germain matches because they've been true supporters of the club for a long time. So they're very happy about everything that's happening for the club... and for me too! I'm going to go see them with the trophy, they're waiting for me!"
We also saw the reactions of your teammates...
"As I said, it's the Ballon d'Or for the team because it's thanks to them that I was able to play so well on the pitch and express myself in the best possible way. They did an incredible job, all raising their game, and so did I. If you don't have a good team, you can't perform, and they were outstanding with me."
The coach has also been very supportive...
"He's been singing ‘And Ousmane Ballon d'Or!’ for three months now every time he sees me! He's had faith in me from the start. He's been incredible with me, so I'm really happy. I try to repay him on the pitch for all the faith he's shown in me from the start."
What has he changed in you that has enabled you to reach this level of excellence, which has led you to become a Ballon d'Or winner today?
"Everything! Above all, the mentality, and the one he has instilled in the team. It's been incredible. It's not just me, it's really the whole team. He gives everyone advice and is an exceptional coach, both tactically and off the pitch. He's an incredible person. He helps us every day and, above all, reminds us to be good players and good people. He tells me to be myself, as he does with the whole team, and to give my all on and off the pitch."
Now it's time for the post-Ballon d'Or season... Will that change anything?
"Not at all! I'll try to perform as well as I can, just like I do every weekend, every match, every training session. Give 100% and help the team. Above all, help the team win trophies because we have to continue writing history with the club. We have a young squad, we still have many years ahead of us and we want more. We're still hungry for trophies."
So what can we wish you for this new season?
"The same thing! Copy and paste last year... except for the Club World Cup final! But otherwise, we'll try to have the same season. We're competitors. We had an incredible season where we won everything, but in August, it all starts again from scratch. So we remain competitors. We want to win again, and once we've tasted a Ligue 1 and a Champions League... we want to keep winning."
