Mbappé's Comments Spark Controversy, Dembélé Feels Betrayed

The relationship between two of the French national team's biggest stars, Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, has reached a critical point. The discord stems from Mbappé's recent comments about his former club, Paris Saint-Germain. The Real Madrid forward stated that in his final season with the Parisian side, there were no other prominent figures besides himself, and that Dembélé only truly became recognizable after Mbappé's departure for Madrid.

“Dembélé and his entourage took Kylian's words very hard; they are furious. They consider this a betrayal of sorts. Mbappé has turned many of the players in the French national team against him, who simply don't understand his statements. Currently, there are effectively two separate teams within the 'Les Bleus' camp,” revealed former French international and current journalist Jérôme Rothen on the popular show “Rothen s'enflamme.”

Another comment from Mbappé also reportedly annoyed Dembélé. This refers to a remark about who deserves to win the Ballon d'Or in 2026. In an interview with “L'Équipe,” Mbappé unequivocally stated that he “doesn't see any other player who was better than him last season.”

The statement from the World Cup's all-time leading scorer drew significant criticism from both journalists and former French internationals, including Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry.