Mbappé Addresses Dembele Rift Ahead of Ballon d'Or
Kylian Mbappé is walking into Ballon d’Or week with a smile on his face and a message he wants heard loud and clear: there is no feud with Ousmane Dembele.
The Real Madrid star moved to shut down the growing narrative of a rift with his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate after his recent comments about their contrasting careers sparked headlines.
“I’ve already spoken to him about it, and there’s no tension,” Mbappé told L’Equipe, brushing aside the noise. “He’s a friend. I don’t think there’s really any problem regarding that. I’m very relaxed about it.”
No tension, but very real competition.
The pair, who helped drag France to a World Cup semi-final not long ago, now find themselves on opposite sides of the stage, chasing the same golden prize. On October 26 in London, Mbappé and Dembele will be among the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or, the game’s most prestigious individual award.
“The chosen one” and the late bloomer
Asked how he would feel if Dembele were to win the Ballon d’Or before him – a scenario almost unthinkable ten years ago – Mbappé leaned into the contrast between their journeys.
“But he has always been seen as a talented player. I, on the other hand, have always been seen as the chosen one,” he said.
It was a blunt line, and it travelled fast.
Mbappé pointed out that he hit the elite level as a teenager, while Dembele’s path has been broken up by injuries and inconsistency before his resurgence in Paris.
“I was at the top right away, from a very young age. He had a different journey, with injuries, but he has caught up really well,” Mbappé explained.
Some took that as a dig. Mbappé insists it was nothing of the sort, just an honest snapshot of two very different careers converging at the same summit.
A wide-open Ballon d’Or race
What is not up for debate is Mbappé’s belief in his own case.
Dembele, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane are all in the conversation, but Mbappé is banking on his numbers. Goals, big nights, big tournaments. That is the foundation of his claim.
Speaking to RFI, the France captain laid out his argument with typical certainty.
“I had a great year on an individual level, I know that’s the most important criterion for the Ballon d’Or, I was the top scorer in all the biggest competitions,” he said.
He can feel the opportunity.
“I think it could be a good year for me, I felt it deep down!” he continued. “A Ballon d’Or has never been this wide open? That’s what they’re saying, yeah, I don’t know the entire history of the Ballon d’Or. It’s pleasant to see, to take part in it, and I think it entertains people! I’d be disappointed of course if I don’t win it!”
There is the competitor talking: fully aware of the spectacle, fully aware of the stakes, and fully aware that walking away empty-handed would sting.
Zidane steps in as the next chapter begins
While the Ballon d’Or narrative swirls, Mbappé and Dembele are back on the same side again. France have a new boss, and not just any boss.
Zinedine Zidane has taken charge of Les Bleus, succeeding Didier Deschamps after the World Cup and instantly changing the temperature around the national team. For Mbappé, it is not just a coaching change. It is a full-circle moment.
“He was the first person who picked me up to take me to Real Madrid, to the training complex. I was 13 or 14, so it was a long time ago. Now he’s my national team coach. It’s like a film, but it’s amazing. It’s real,” he told AS.
From the kid in the car to the leader of France under Zidane, from “the chosen one” to Ballon d’Or favourite, Mbappé now stands at the intersection of legacy and expectation.
Next up: London, Dembele, and a trophy that could define the next era of their rivalry.
