Ousmane Dembele is 29 years old, worth around $40 million, and currently the best footballer on the planet by formal recognition. He earns more than any other player in Ligue 1, won the Ballon d’Or in September 2025, and heads into the World Cup as France’s most dangerous attacking weapon. Three years ago, Barcelona were trying to get rid of him. Football moves fast.

The Season That Changed Everything

The 2024-25 season settled every argument about where Dembele stood among the game’s elite. He finished the campaign with 35 goals and 16 assists across all competitions, numbers that would be exceptional for a striker and are remarkable for a wide forward. PSG won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League, their first European title, and Dembele drove all three. The Champions League final against Inter Milan ended 5-0, the heaviest margin of victory in the history of the competition. He set up two of the goals that night, was named Player of the Season for the tournament, and walked away from Paris in the summer of 2025 as the best player in the world.

He was named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season, Ligue 1 Player of the Year, and collected the Ballon d’Or in September 2025 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. For a player who spent four years at Barcelona being written off as injury-prone and difficult, the symmetry of winning the world’s most prestigious individual football award in Paris was not lost on anyone watching.

The 2025-26 season has continued along similar lines. In 22 Ligue 1 appearances, he has scored 10 goals and contributed 17 goal involvements in total, placing him second in PSG’s top scorers list and among the top performers in the league.

The Salary and What It Means

According to L’Equipe’s ranking published in April 2026, Dembele is the highest-paid player in Ligue 1, earning €1.5 million gross per month. His PSG contract, signed on a free transfer from Barcelona in August 2023 and running until 2028, carries an annual gross salary of around €18 million per Capology, with performance bonuses on top of that.

Career earnings from salary alone across Rennes, Dortmund, Barcelona and PSG exceed €110 million. His endorsement portfolio, which includes Adidas and EA Sports, adds a further estimated €5 million annually. Total net worth across salary, endorsements, real estate in Paris and Barcelona, and other investments sits at approximately $40 million as of early 2026.

First Published: May 31 2026 | 12:36 AM IST

This debate is nothing new – but nothing has changed.

In each of the past three years, questions have been raised about whether the French Open should do more to showcase the women’s game.

“I don’t think they have daughters, because I don’t think they want to treat their daughters like this,” said Jabeur.

The lack of action prompted recently appointed WTA chief executive Valerie Camillo to seek answers from French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo – a former women’s world number one – when they met at Roland Garros this week.

In what the WTA describes as an open and productive conversation, Camillo underlined her belief that women’s players have delivered some of the “most exciting and dynamic competition in global sport” over recent months and years.

It remains to be seen whether Camillo’s call for action is listened to.

Mauresmo has consistently argued that the danger of women’s matches going “really fast” is the justification behind the choices.

With tickets ranging from €60 to €280 (£50 to £240), tournament organisers think the possibility of a short two-set women’s match does not represent value for money.

Mauresmo has insisted the night sessions will not be extended to two matches – like the Australian Open and US Open – in fear of creating late finishes.

Will the French Open be swayed? It refused to waver last year, despite pressure from players, the women’s governing body and – according to reports, external – broadcasters.

Former world number one Osaka will meet Aryna Sabalenka – the current top women’s player – in the last 16 on Monday.

The Japanese player said she did not know if that blockbuster match would be under consideration for the night session, but added she felt the slot was reserved for “popcorn matches”.

If Osaka against Sabalenka does not fulfil the French Open’s criteria, it feels like nothing will.

“I hope it will change,” added Ostapenko.

“Even if it’s not me playing, I would like to see some women’s matches there. But I don’t know that we will.”

The most fitting way for Arsenal’s season to end, it appeared, necessitated a set-piece and Gabriel Magalhaes. Just not this particular set-piece or, for them, this particular end. The personification of their uncompromising excellence from corners was instead – strangely – on penalty duty, blazing a spot kick into the end populated by Paris Saint-Germain ultras.

The red flares were lit, but the red half of north London were in mourning. Second again, 20 years after their first Champions League final. In the plush seats, flanked by Luis Figo, Arsene Wenger had looked pensive more than an hour earlier. The scoreline could have given him grounds to smile, but he had seen this situation before. Arsenal one up in the Champions League final? That did not end happily in 2006. It wouldn’t in 2026 either.

Mikel Arteta, the master of detail, the manager who seemed to leave nothing to chance, appeared to have neglected one key element. Matvei Safonov, Paris Saint-Germain’s utterly unconvincing goalkeeper, saved nothing: not in the match, and not in the shootout either. Arsenal only needed to get their penalties on target, especially with David Raya making a terrific stop from Nuno Mendes. But Eberechi Eze followed a stuttering run-up by sidefooting wide. Gabriel skied his.

Live by the set-piece, die by the set-piece? Maybe. Arsenal’s Champions League campaign ended with defeat and yet undefeated. They did not lose a game in 90 or 120 minutes, let alone a tie. Results gave them a fine claim to be Europe’s best team this season. But against the side who retain the distinction of being champions of Europe, who pass the eye test as the outstanding outfit, they played with an inferiority complex.

Arsenal completed 199 passes, PSG 837. Indeed, Arsenal only completed 1.3 passes per kilometre their players ran; over 150, some 6.6 more than PSG. It was the price of not having the ball. Uefa’s possession statistics gave them a 36 per cent share, Opta’s a mere 24.7; the latter felt the more accurate.

It was one of those days when it seemed Arteta had remembered precious little of his education at La Masia; when, of his managerial mentors, he resembled David Moyes more than Pep Guardiola. And yet, when his right-back was a centre-back, his left-back was a centre-back and his two centre-backs were centre-backs, he looked more like Tony Pulis than either.

But perhaps it would have been foolhardy to play PSG at their own game. Bayern Munich tried in the semi-final, contested a classic and lost 5-4 at the Parc des Princes. That was the game of the competition; the true final, some might say. But the Gunners had progressed to the actual final their way. The endless attrition of Arteta’s Arsenal meant they were the side PSG could not destroy.

It had been billed as attack against defence. Arsenal gave themselves a lot of defending to do, partly by doing too little attacking. After Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute goal, they did not have a shot on target in the remaining 114 minutes; nearer 124, given the added time. Which, given the vulnerability of PSG and the frailties of Safonov, may have been a missed opportunity.

But PSG did not attack to their full capability; they were devastating against Inter in last season’s final, dragged into dullness by Arsenal. Arteta’s side saw off Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha, all substituted.

Arsenal delivered a masterclass in off-the-ball shape, in organisation, in concentration. They defended in a 4-4-2-0 formation, no one near the half-way line. Forget two banks, this was three. But it was an approach that meant they had to be flawless, and they were not. Cristhian Mosquera, the third-choice right-back, got the wrong side of Kvaratskhelia for a second. Penalty. The lead that Arsenal held for 59 minutes was wiped out.

And their defensiveness came at a cost: to themselves. Martin Odegaard went off after just 12 touches in 65 minutes. That felt a waste of a talent. Bukayo Saka was muted, too. Leandro Trossard got an assist, but by charging down a clearance.

The exception among the attackers was the terrific Havertz. Arteta had shown his clinically unsentimental streak by omitting Viktor Gyokeres, whose finest Arsenal performance came in the first leg of the semi-final against Atletico Madrid, whose grandfather fled Hungary. Havertz started and became just the third player to score in Champions League finals for two clubs; but, like Mario Mandzukic, the second did not come in victory.

The German is a curiosity of a footballer; not really a forward, not really a midfielder but very much a Kai Havertz. He was a sign, though, that wherever Arteta had a selection dilemma, except perhaps Myles Lewis-Skelly for Martin Zubimendi in midfield, he took the more defensive option.

Defence could have worked, too. Defence, indeed, won Arsenal’s last European trophy, the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup. The now familiar chant of “1-0 to the Arsenal” dates back to victory over Paris Saint-Germain this season. When it was 1-0 to the Arsenal again, it looked like they may bore their way to glory in a way Wenger’s great aesthetes never could on the continental stage. But Arsenal have been accused of reducing football to a procession of set-pieces. And when there were 10 penalties in a row, they missed two. Set-piece again, oh no, oh no.

AEW is heading to its hottest periods of the year. The company is marching towards All In: London en route with Forbidden Door and Redemption pay-per-view. Tony Khan is planning to build a stacked line up of matches for these upcoming shows. For that he needs a solid slate of champions in its division, but some champions are gone past their prime.

There are some champions who have been reigning for a long time, and now fans are clamoring to see new stars rise as the title holders. Besides, new champions could generate massive buzz in the Jacksonville-based promotion ahead of All In pay-per-view. Moreover, there are many stars who need a spotlight on in All Elite Wrestling, and a title could be helpful for them.

In this article, let’s take a look at five stars who need to lose their titles as soon as possible:

#5. Thekla

Thekla has been reigning as the AEW Women’s World Champion for more than 100 days. She has had an incredible reign as the champion and she has defeated names like Thunder Rosa, Mina Shirakawa, and Jamie Hayter to cement herself as a dominant champion. However, her reign has hit a point of saturation, and fans seems to be no longer excited to see what’s next for The Toxic Spider.

Not only that, Thekla has become a popular heel among the fans, something that Tony Khan wanted to achieve with her world title reign. Therefore, AEW Women’s World Championship could be used to put over some other rising name. Besides, The Toxic Spider has defended her title against majority of the names in the current women’s division.

Therefore, to give fans an exciting matchup for All In, Tony Khan needs to give fans a new women’s world champion. As a result, The Toxic Spider should drop her title as soon as possible.

#4. Mark Davis

It has been only 18 days since Mark Davis won the AEW National Championship. While Davis has a lot of potential to be a strong champion, he does not need a title to stay relevant in the Jacksonville-based promotion. He is involved with the Don Callis Family as of now. The faction is going through its civil war with Konosuke Takeshita. Therefore, Davis is in a hot mix right now.

Tony Khan could use that National Championship to give releavance to some other major star. Besides, the idea for the title was to defend it all across the world in independent promotions to help out the wrestling scene. By putting the title on a major star, AEW can attract eyeballs at the National Title picture. Moreover, this title could work really well with names like Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega in AEW.

#3. Megan Bayne & #2. Lena Kross

Megan Bayne and Lena Kross has been holding the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship. Fans had high expectations with the tag team title reign of Divine Dominion. While the duo defended their title multiple times over the past few months, they did not make much impact with their reign. Besides, fans are clamoring to see Megan getting pushed into the world title scene.

Moreover, there are various rising tag teams in the women’s division. Tony Khan can give a push to duos like Mina Shirakawa & Harley Cameron and Skye Blue & Julia Hart, who have emerged as talented tag teams in the division. Furthermore, such a title change could work as a breathe of fresh air in the women’s tag team division.

Apart from that, a title change would allow Bayne and Kross to go on their seperate singles route in professional wrestling to showcase their singles talent.

#1. Jon Moxley needs to drop AEW Continental Championship

Jon Moxley won his AEW Continental Championship at Worlds End 2025. He has been reigning as the champion for the past 150 days, where has defeated stars like Kyle O’Reilly, Konosuke Takeshita, and Will Ospreay. He delivered an impactful title reign but it has reached a point of saturation. Therefore, the division needs a change. Besides, Moxley has been heavily involved with the ongoing Ospreay and Death Riders storyline.

The ongoing arc has been incredibly interesting which has made the Continental Title feel secondary. Therefore, Tony Khan needs to put it on some other name to re-engage fans’ interest over the title. Moreover, Moxley needs to fully indulge himself in the Will Ospreay storyline, which would not allow him to continue focusing on the Continental Title reign.

Furthermore, names like Andrade, Jack Perry, and Tommaso Ciampa could be better pick for the Continental Title scene. Aside from that, the title picture needs a new identity as well following Moxley’s ruthless reign. Over the years, it has become a workhorse championship. Therefore, it needs an active storyline around it heading to AEW All In, which would not be possible with Moxley and Death Riders.