I didn’t know Dembele when we first met – Sarkodie discloses

Ghanaian rap legend Sarkodie has shared the story of the first time he met 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembélé. The rapper recalled that their paths crossed in New York in 2022 through his close friend, Dutch-Ghanaian star Memphis Depay, who at the time was Dembélé’s teammate at Barcelona.

Speaking on Lawson TV, Sarkodie admitted he had no idea he was meeting one of football’s biggest names. “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… I really did not know about Dembele. It was my team who prompted me about him and I had to even search about him. He is a cool guy and very down to earth. I even thought he was just a friend to Memphis. Apparently, he was a superstar,” he revealed.

Three years later, Dembélé is now officially the best player in the world after winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or in Paris, following a historic treble-winning season with Paris Saint-Germain. Sarkodie praised his humility and hinted that he intends to personally congratulate him on the achievement.