Mbappe and Dembele Relationship Reportedly Strained Over Ballon d'Or Disagreements

Tension has reportedly developed between French national team stars Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, with insiders pointing to comments made by Mbappe concerning the Ballon d'Or award as the root cause. The pair, who have previously maintained a close relationship beneficial to the team, are said to have shown a noticeable distance during the recent training camp under new head coach Zinedine Zidane.

According to RMC Sport, the friction began when Mbappe was asked if he expected Dembele to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of him. Mbappe responded by stating that while Dembele had always been seen as talented, he himself was considered the "chosen one" who was at the top from a young age, acknowledging Dembele's different journey that included injuries.

Dembele appeared to address this in a subsequent interview, describing himself as someone who has always worked hard without making public statements. He highlighted his Ballon d'Or win the previous year as a reward for a successful season with PSG.

While Mbappe has been vocal about his own expectations for the current Ballon d'Or, Dembele put forward his PSG teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose performances he described as "burned into the retina," echoing language previously used by Mbappe in similar contexts.

Despite Mbappe's assertions that there is no rift, observers within the French setup have noted a difference in the pair's interactions compared to previous camps. Although they have been seen communicating, there is a perceived "chill between them," suggesting their relationship is "not the same as before."

The French national team is reportedly monitoring the situation to ensure it does not impact team dynamics. This potential strain comes as Zidane prepares for his first match as France head coach against Turkey in the Nations League. Zidane took over from Didier Deschamps, who led the team for 14 years and secured the 2018 World Cup title.