Sunday evening, in the wake of Paris Saint-Germain’s victory at Brest (0-1), Ousmane Dembélé surprised everyone at the Ligue 1+ microphone. Asked about the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, the Parisian striker sent a well-felt reply to Kylian Mbappé, who explained on Saturday during an interview with France Football that he had “always been seen as the chosen one.”
But far from being a simple burst of spontaneity on the lawn of the Francis-Le Blé stadium, this speech was part of a carefully considered strategy behind the scenes. As revealed by Daniel Riolo in After Football on RMC, the communication of the capital club and the player had carefully prepared this intervention. “The response is organized”said the columnist. Even before kick-off, PSG representatives imposed their conditions on the broadcaster: “He comes to the microphone, but you have to ask him a question about the Ballon d’Or, otherwise he doesn’t come. »
Behind this impactful PR stunt and the targeted use of the term “the chosen one”a looming shadow: that of Moussa Sissoko, Ousmane Dembélé’s influential agent, also a strong advisor for other talents like Désiré Doué or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. “He is an agent who has weight. He is very important today in French football,” underlined Walid Acherchour on the RMC antenna.
“The Ballon d’Or is nothing but contracts”
For Daniel Riolo, this war of words can be explained by the enormous financial stakes surrounding the ultimate individual trophy. Faced with the massive campaign orchestrated by Mbappé’s entourage, the Dembélé clan counterattacked on the same ground. “It drives those around you crazy, because the Ballon d’Or is rubbish, contracts, said Daniel Riolo. Moussa Sissoko calls his friendly journalists, he passes on his little messages (…) He protects his players, he puts them forward. »
This passing of arms through the media promises to spice up the imminent reunion between the two French internationals at Clairefontaine, under the leadership of coach Zinedine Zidane. The two men must indeed meet again on Monday for the Blues rally.
