Ghanaian Rapper Sarkodie Opens Up On Meeting Ballon d'Or Winner Dembele
- Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has shared details of his encounter with PSG superstar Ousmane Dembele
- The Frenchman was overcome with emotion after edging out Lamine Yamal to claim the 2025 Ballon d’Or
- The 28-year-old scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists in 53 matches as PSG completed a historic treble
Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has shared a story about his first encounter with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele during a trip to New York three years ago.
Dembele, 28, clinched his first Ballon d’Or after edging Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal, PSG teammate Vitinha, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, becoming the second French player in four years to win the prize after Karim Benzema’s 2022 success.
Source: Getty Images
Dembele also became just the second PSG player, after Lionel Messi in 2021, to lift the coveted golden trophy, reaching a career peak that once seemed out of reach during his injury-plagued spell at Barcelona, per ESPN.
The former Borussia Dortmund star was pivotal in PSG’s historic Champions League triumph last season, producing 14 goal contributions in 15 games — eight goals and six assists — while directly influencing every match from the round of 16 second leg onwards.
But before his crowning moment on Monday night, Sarkodie revealed he first met Dembélé during a visit to New York in 2022, thanks to his close friend Memphis Depay, Ghanasoccernet cited.
At the time, Sarkodie admitted he didn’t know much about the French winger but took time to learn about him after Depay’s introduction.
Below is a photo of Sarkodie with Dembele and Depay in New York:
Following Dembele's historic Ballon d’Or win, Sarkodie described the PSG star as “down-to-earth” and disclosed that he intends to personally call and congratulate him on the achievement.
"My friend is Memphis, I have even made a song with him which is yet to be released so I was meeting him in New York and that was when I met Dembele. That was the only time we met," he said on Lawson TV.
Watch the interview below:
Dembélé and Memphis Depay, who were teammates at Barcelona, spent the summer of 2022 together in New York.
Reflecting on that time, Sarkodie admitted:
"I really did not know about Dembélé. It was my team who prompted me about him, and I even had to search him up. He is a cool guy and very down-to-earth. At first, I thought he was just a friend of Memphis, and they were simply hanging out together. Apparently, he was already a superstar."
Source: Getty Images
Sarkodie is currently in Kumasi preparing for his much-anticipated Rapperholic Homecoming concert, scheduled for September 27, 2024, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
This will be the first time the experience, which has occurred in Accra for the past ten years and over, is happening in Kumasi.
Medikal, Kweku Smoke, Strongman and OlivetheBoy have already been announced as headliners for the show.
Dembele breaks down after winning Ballon d'Or
In a related report, YEN.com.gh highlighted how Ousmane Dembélé was visibly emotional after edging Lamine Yamal to claim the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
The 28-year-old forward expressed his gratitude by dedicating the prestigious honour to the entire PSG family.
Source: YEN.com.gh
