Ousmane Dembele Reacts to Kylian Mbappe’s Comments Amid Ballon d’Or Tension Between France Stars
- Ousmane Dembele has publicly addressed speculation of a rift between him and Kylian Mbappe ahead of France's Nations League clash with Italy
- The tension reportedly began after Mbappe made comments in a France Football magazine interview about Dembele's Ballon d'Or campaign
- Dembele, who is bidding to win the Ballon d'Or for a second straight year, said he and Mbappe spoke about the controversy in person
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Ousmane Dembele has moved to shut down talk of a falling-out with Kylian Mbappe, saying he pays no attention to the online noise surrounding their individual bids to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
Speaking on Thursday ahead of France's UEFA Nations League fixture against Italy, the Paris Saint-Germain forward said the speculation circulating on social media does not reflect reality between the two teammates.
Source: Getty Images
"No, nothing. I don't comment on all of these stories," Dembele was quoted by ESPN.
"I don't comment on little squabbles on social media. At 29 years old, I'm not really thinking about that."
Why the Ballon d'Or friction between Dembele and Mbappe
The suggestion of tension between the two French stars emerged following a recent interview Mbappe gave to France Football magazine.
In the exchange, Mbappe was told that few observers, a decade ago, would have predicted Dembele would win the Ballon d'Or ahead of him.
Mbappe responded by saying he has "always been seen as the chosen one," while acknowledging that Dembele had "caught up really well."
The remarks were quickly picked up online and read by many as a subtle dig at his compatriot.
Dembele confirmed he raised the topic with Mbappe directly, though he was quick to downplay any drama, noting it only came up because the pair "sit next to each other at the [dinner] table" with the France squad.
For his part, Mbappe had also previously played down the reports, saying "I don't think there's really any problem."
The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
Dembele is chasing a second consecutive award, while Mbappe, despite his enormous individual achievements, has yet to claim the honour.
Dembele to captain France against Italy
Friday's game at the Stade de France presented an unusual dynamic.
Mbappe is sidelined with a knee injury, which handed Dembele the captain's armband as one of coach Zinedine Zidane's recently named vice captains, beIN Sports reports.
Dembele called wearing the armband "an honour," but was careful not to frame Mbappé's absence as an opportunity for himself.
Instead, he was generous in his assessment of what Mbappé brings to the national side.
France's all-time leading scorer has 67 international goals to his name and holds the record as the World Cup's all-time top scorer with 22 goals across tournament history.
Mbappe to dedicate Ballon d'Or to Africa
Earlier, Legit.ng reported about Mbappé’s message to African football fans as he enters the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
The Real Madrid star says he hopes to dedicate the award to the continent, where his family has roots, after a season in which he scored 58 goals for his club and finished the World Cup as top scorer.
Source: Legit.ng
