Kylian Mbappé denies tension with Ousmane Dembélé over Ballon d'Or ambitions

On Monday, September 21, 2026, French national team captain Kylian Mbappé denied any tension with teammate Ousmane Dembélé regarding their Ballon d'Or ambitions. In an interview with L'Équipe, Mbappé called Dembélé a friend and dismissed the speculation as a media-created debate. The controversy arose after Mbappé declared himself a favorite for the award in a France Football interview, and Dembélé responded with comments about never being the chosen one. Both players gathered with the French squad at Clairefontaine under new coach Zinedine Zidane.