Ousmane Dembélé to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Dembélé fans. Speculation had been rife that Ballon d'Or 2025 is about to announce his retirement from sports, at age 28, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 20/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a footballer isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a footballer just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouOusmane

For a little while on Thursday evening, #ThankYouOusmane was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Ousmane Dembélé was unlike any other footballer we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouOusmane”
— @universalObserver, 19 Mar 2026

“Didn't Ousmane Dembélé retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 19 Mar 2026

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