Dembélé Responds to Mbappé: I've Never Been the Chosen One

The debate surrounding the 2026 Ballon d'Or is heating up. In recent days, many players have voiced their opinions, with Kylian Mbappé being one of them. In an interview with L'Équipe, the Real Madrid forward admitted he "doesn't see any other player who was better than him last season."

"I've always been the one everyone's eyes are on. Ousmane Dembélé? He's always been seen as a talented player. I, on the other hand, have always been seen as the chosen one," the Madrid star stated, referring to last year's award winner.

The other protagonist in this story, Ousmane Dembélé, addressed the issue last night after Paris Saint-Germain's match against Brest. "As I said, I've never been 'the chosen one,' but I've worked incredibly hard. And last year, I was rewarded..." he emphasized.

"This year, we'll see; I'm calm. I've always been one of those who sit at the back and work hard. That's been my entire career; I haven't said a word. All I've done is work hard," Dembélé added.

Former footballer Medhi Benatia was more direct regarding Mbappé: "I adore him, but his statements about the Ballon d'Or... I didn't like the interview. He has footballing intelligence, and I love it when he talks about that, but for the Ballon d'Or... there's no need for those words."

Former French international Bixente Lizarazu also weighed in. "Mbappé's approach is very American. In contrast, Dembélé, Kvara, and Lamine have played the humility card," he explained.