Kylian Mbappé has moved to extinguish the suggestion of a rift with Ousmane Dembélé, insisting that the two France forwards have already spoken and that there is nothing to the story. With both players away on international duty, the Real Madrid forward addressed the matter directly: “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.” He made the comments to L’Équipe at an event for a new sponsor.
The episode began on 11 September, in an interview with France Football. Mbappé discussed his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded on 26 October in London, and drew a comparison between his own trajectory and that of Dembélé. “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,” said Mbappé of his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate.
Two days later, Dembélé’s response arrived. Speaking on Ligue 1+, the latest Ballon d’Or winner did not mention Mbappé directly, but took up precisely the expression his teammate had used. “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 reunion of the two within the France squad only raised expectations further, but Mbappé believes the controversy swelled because of the national team context 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 said.
Mbappé also set out his own case for the Ballon d’Or, speaking on RFI Sports. “I have had a great year individually. I know that is the most important criterion for the Ballon d’Or. I have been the top scorer in all the major competitions,” he said. “And I think it can be a good year for me and I feel that way. I don’t know the whole history of the Ballon d’Or, but it’s true that there is a lot of talk about an open race. So it’s nice, nice to see and nice to take part. I think it also entertains people.”