Mbappé Defends Friendship with Dembélé Amid Ballon d'Or Tensions
What began as a sharp line in a magazine interview has turned into a small storm around France’s attacking duo. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, two of the biggest figures in French football, suddenly found their relationship under the microscope in the middle of the Ballon d’Or race.
Mbappé has now stepped in to shut it down.
From “chosen one” to controversy
The spark came on September 11, in an interview with France Football. Asked about his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded on October 26 in London, the Real Madrid forward drew a comparison between his career and Dembélé’s.
“He has always been considered a talented player. I have always been seen as the chosen one. I was at the top from the start. He had a different path, injuries, but he recovered well,” Mbappé said of his former PSG teammate.
The phrase “the chosen one” stuck. It was replayed, dissected, and quickly framed as a veiled hierarchy between the two France stars.
Two days later, Dembélé answered in his own way. Speaking on Ligue 1+, the latest Ballon d’Or winner echoed that same expression, clearly aware of the noise around it, even if he never mentioned Mbappé by name.
“Throughout my entire career, I haven't said a single word, I have worked very hard. As I said, I have never been the chosen one, but I have worked hard, and last year I was rewarded with a fantastic season at PSG. And this year, we'll see, no pressure, calm.”
The message was calm, but pointed. The debate, though, was already rolling.
National team reunion under the spotlight
Their reunion with the French national team only turned up the volume. Every look, every gesture in training, every shared laugh was suddenly read as a clue. Was there friction between the two stars leading the French attack?
Mbappé has now moved to kill that narrative. Speaking to L’Équipe while attending an event for his new sponsor, the France captain made his position clear.
“I’ve already talked it over with him and no, there are no tensions. He is a friend. I really think there is no problem at all in that regard, I’m very calm,” said the number 10.
No hesitation. No attempt to soften the message. Just a direct dismissal of the idea that a Ballon d’Or battle has driven a wedge between them.
For Mbappé, the whole story has swelled because of the environment around the national team itself. “During the Nations League period and with the French national team, you always have to look for a topic of debate, and I think this one is very well chosen,” he concluded, underlining how quickly a simple line can be turned into a saga.
The Ballon d’Or will be handed out in London in a few weeks. Until then, every word from France’s stars will be weighed and replayed. Mbappé has made his stance clear: he wants the trophy, but not at the cost of a friendship.
