Ousmane Dembélé denies rift with Kylian Mbappé over Ballon d'Or race ahead of Italy match

Dembélé addresses media in Paris

France forward Ousmane Dembélé addressed reporters on Thursday, 1 October, ahead of the national team's third Nations League match against Italy at the Stade de France. Dembélé will captain the team on Friday in the absence of Kylian Mbappé, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Coach Zinedine Zidane recently designated the 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain attacker as one of the squad's vice-captains. Dembélé described wearing the captain's armband as an honor and stated that his focus remains entirely on sporting performance rather than discussions circulating online.

I don't comment on little squabbles on social media. At 29 years old, I'm not really thinking about that. I am focused on the essentials, which is the pitch.

Origins of the Ballon d'Or debate

Speculation regarding relations between the two players began following an interview with Mbappé published by France Football magazine on 11 September. When asked about observers who a decade ago would not have expected Dembélé to win the Ballon d'Or first, Mbappé noted differences in their career trajectories. The Real Madrid forward remarked that while Dembélé experienced injury setbacks before recovering, he had personally been viewed as the chosen one from the start of his career. Mbappé also noted that in past years when Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo won the trophy, he accepted that the best player was on the stage.

Dembélé? But he has always been seen as a player with talent. Me, I have always been seen as the chosen one. I was immediately at the top, very early. He had a different journey, the injuries, but he caught up really well.

Direct communication and squad leadership

Mbappé addressed the topic on 21 September in an interview with L'Équipe, stating that Dembélé is a friend and rejecting suggestions of internal division. During Thursday's press conference, Dembélé confirmed that the two teammates discussed the situation directly during national team duty. Dembélé noted that the players sit next to each other at the dinner table and characterized the controversy as an internet phenomenon that does not affect their daily interaction within the camp.

We spoke. We sit next to each other at the table. There are no problems.

Campaign for the London ceremony

The individual contest between the French teammates precedes the Ballon d'Or ceremony scheduled for 26 October in London. Dembélé enters the event as the 2025 Ballon d'Or recipient seeking a second consecutive victory, while Mbappé continues his campaign for a first career title. Mbappé remains France's all-time top scorer with 67 goals in 107 caps and holds the all-time tournament record with 22 World Cup goals. Dembélé acknowledged Mbappé's offensive contribution while pointing out that Zidane's 23-player squad requires collective responsibility against Italy.

He's scored an enormous amount of goals. When he's here we're very happy because he brings something extra. But we're a team and the 23 players involved are important. We don't win with one, two, or three players.