Ousmane Dembélé obviously had little taste for Kylian Mbappé’s recent statements about him. In full promotion in the run-up to the Ballon d’Or verdict on October 26, the Real Madrid striker is being offensive, praising his personal record, even if it means subtly belittling his main competitors.
During a long interview given to France Footballthe kid from Bondy notably answered a question about “Dembouz”: “He was always seen as a talented player. Me, I have always been seen as the chosen one”thus launched “Kyk’s”.
What Dembélé responded to after PSG’s victory in Brest on Sunday evening: “I was always in the back of the class working hard. In my entire career, I haven’t said a word, I’ve worked a lot. As I said, I was never the chosen one but I worked and last year, I was rewarded with a fantastic year with Paris-SG, and then, this year, we will see, without pressure, calm”dropped the 2025 Ballon d’Or, maintaining his line of conduct opposite to that of the captain of the Blues.
Zidane’s first mission: “Ease the tensions which are visibly accumulating between Dembélé and Mbappé”
For many, this media skirmish testifies to the emerging tensions between the two men. This is the opinion of journalist Matt Spiro, who sees it as a first hot file to resolve for Zinedine Zidane. “Zidane’s first mission as France coach? Ease the tensions which are visibly accumulating between Dembélé and Mbappé as the Ballon d’Or verdict approaches…”he says.
And to go even further: “It looks like Ousmane has had enough of being Kylian’s stooge! » To see if this race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or will undermine the friendship between the two stars of the Blues, who have always claimed to be close on and off the field.
