The rivalry between Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé has escalated beyond the Ballon d’Or race into a potential crisis threatening the equilibrium of the France national team’s dressing room, amid reports of players splitting into two distinct camps.
According to Foot Mercato, citing RMC Sport’s Rothen s’enflamme, Mbappé’s recent statements unsettled not only Dembélé and his inner circle, but also drew strong disapproval from several members of the Les Bleus squad.
The rift originated when Mbappé compared their respective career trajectories, stating: “Dembélé was always viewed as a talented player, whereas I was always viewed as the chosen one.”
Dembélé delivered his public response following Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 victory over Brest, declaring: “I was always at the back of the line working hard, and I was never the chosen one, but I worked immensely, and last year I was rewarded with a remarkable season at Paris.”
According to RMC, Dembélé and his representatives interpreted the France captain’s remarks as a form of betrayal, particularly given the long-standing friendship shared between the pair both on and off the pitch.
The fallout from Mbappé’s interview extended beyond Dembélé, with the report noting that the Real Madrid forward has alienating several French teammates, adding: “There are now two distinct factions within the France national team.”
Despite being taken aback by Dembélé’s public rebuttal, Mbappé does not intend to escalate the debate through the media and prefers to communicate with his teammate privately to de-escalate the situation.
Should tensions persist ahead of the upcoming international break, the situation will present an immediate challenge for Zinedine Zidane, as the conflict moves beyond personal individual honors to threaten squad cohesion.
