Thierry Henry: Ousmane Dembele on track to be best in the world

Thierry Henry has declared Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele to be on track to be the best player in the world.

Dembele scored the game’s only goal as PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

After a blistering run of form that had seen the 27-year-old score 25 goals in 21 games in all competitions, Dembele has gone five games without scoring prior to Tuesday night’s effort.

The Frenchman’s sensational form this season has him second favourite for the Ballon d’Or at 3/1, and when asked if Dembele is the best in the world right now, Henry said: “He could be. We’ve all been saying in France for a very long time, if Ousmane can finish how he starts he’ll be one of if not the best player in the world, and that’s what he’s doing only now.”

Speaking on CBS Sports, Henry added: “If he does that on a daily basis he can definitely be there, but if you look at what he’s been doing in 2025 he’s on top and he’s on the run to win the Treble.”

Moving to Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund having only just turned 20, and being tasked with being Neymar’s replacement, Dembele’s potential for a long time looked like going unfulfilled.

Owing to a series of injures, Dembele started just 85 La Liga games in just six seasons prior to his move to PSG where he arrived with a point to prove.

The winger has had his game time managed more carefully by Luis Enrique, starting just 36 Ligue 1 games in two years following his move, but it appears to have paid off.

For the first time since the 2016/17 season, PSG line up without either of Neymar or Kylian Mbappe and the lack of supposed star power seems to have paid off, with Enrique wanting a fluidity in his side that allows his attacking talents to thrive.

While Dembele is still frequently deployed as a winger, he’s also become a threat through the middle through the campaign, and Henry says the system used by Enrique is playing to Dembele’s strengths.

“He’s playing in a system that allows him to drop,” said Henry. “When he goes low to ask for the ball, being back to goal, [Joao] Neves will always go high, so he doesn’t have someone behind him and he already knows what’s going to happen. It’s not a ball that you’ll kick to Emile Heskey in his time. Because there is a mechanism and a pattern of play, he already knows what’s supposed to happen.”

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Liam Williams

• Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
• UEFA Champions League
• European Football
• Ligue 1
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