Kylian Mbappé’s public assertion that he merits the Ballon d’Or evolved beyond a standard defense of his season, igniting speculation in France regarding a potential rift between him and Ousmane Dembélé, his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate and close friend in the national setup.
The narrative gained momentum when Mbappé discussed their differing career trajectories, noting that he was treated as the “chosen one” from his early days, whereas Dembélé had to navigate a more arduous path to prove his talent—before Mbappé maintained that he personally saw no player superior to himself over the past season.
Addressing the rumors directly, Mbappé stated: “I have already spoken with Ousmane, and there is no tension between us. He is a friend of mine, and there is no real issue whatsoever.”
Speaking to L’Équipe, the French forward added: “I am very calm about this whole story. People can interpret words whichever way they want, but our relationship is completely clear to us.”
Former PSG midfielder Jérôme Rothen had claimed that Dembélé felt angered by the comments, viewing them as a betrayal—particularly after the PSG winger won the 2025 Ballon d’Or and with both players competing for the 2026 accolade.
Doubts escalated after Dembélé listed Mbappé, Harry Kane, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia among the world’s elite, stating he would be delighted if the award went to his Georgian teammate at PSG—a remark widely interpreted as endorsing a direct rival to Mbappé.
Concurrently, a previous statement by the France captain resurfaced in which he claimed PSG lacked a single “star” following his departure. The remark was widely perceived as a slight against Dembélé, though Mbappé had not explicitly claimed Dembélé was not a star during their shared tenure, referring instead to the squad structure and project identity after his exit.
Dembélé responded to the comparisons by saying: “I always sat in the back row and worked in silence. I didn’t say anything to anyone, but I worked immensely hard to reach this point”—a statement that appeared to defend his personal journey rather than launch a direct attack on Mbappé.
While the individual nature of the Ballon d’Or frequently creates friction within national teams, Mbappé’s direct denial temporarily closes the door on rumors of a personal rift. However, the rivalry remains active ahead of the October 26 gala, especially with the Real Madrid star firmly holding that no player outperformed him last season.
