"I love you brother" - Barcelona star shares heartfelt social media message to Ousmane Dembele after Spain's Nations League win
Spanish midfielder Gavi posted a photo with former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembele's jersey and shared his love for the PSG star on Instagram. The two former teammates went head-to-head in the recent UEFA Nations League semifinal between Spain and France.
Taking to Instagram, Gavi posted a story with Dembele after Spain's 5-4 win over France. He wrote alongside the picture:
"I love you brother."
Gavi spoke to Tot Costa recently and backed the former Barcelona man for the Ballon d'Or. He claimed that the PSG star should be in the top-three at least and is fine with the Frenchman or Lamine Yamal winning it. He said (via GOAL):
"For me, Ous has to be in the top three for the Ballon d'Or. He's like a brother to me and an amazing player. I've always believed in him. And if one of us wins it, either him or Lamine [Yamal], it will be a dream."
Gavi played 59 matches with Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona, and the duo combined for three goals. The Frenchman left the Catalan side in 2023 for PSG after they activated his £50 million release clause.
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal vs PSG's Ousmane Dembele for Ballon d'Or?
After Spain's win over France, Lamine Yamal was asked about the race for the Ballon d'Or between him and Ousmane Dembele. The 17-year-old Spaniard stated that he wanted to do all the talking on the pitch. He said (via GOAL):
"I always say the same thing to mum, that I try to give my all. That is what motivates me and what gets me up in the morning. It is why I play football. It's always best to speak on the pitch. Dembele's a great player, we saw that in the Champions League, but I am happy that we're the ones in the final."
French superstar Kylian Mbappe has put his weight behind Dembele for the award, but warned the duo that the voting does not end soon. He said (via Yahoo):
"Would I vote for Dembele? Yes. Do I really need to explain? We're talking about Yamal and Dembele, I'm going for Dembele. It's very clear! Today we're talking about Ousmane and Lamine. It changes very quickly, the last winners showed that. We weren't talking about certain players who won in the end. Is it September? A lot will happen between now and then, but today we're talking about Ousmane and Lamine. That's why I replied."
Lamine Yamal played a key role for Barcelona as they won the Supercopa de Espana, Copa del Rey, and LaLiga in 2024-25. Dembele helped PSG win the treble this season, including the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.
