Following a day of contrasting results, Kylian Mbappé who lost 2–1 with Real Madrid against Atlético Madrid and Ousmane Dembélé who won 2–1 with Paris Saint-Germain against Olympique de Marseille will meet again at the Clairefontaine training center at the start of the Zinedine Zidane era.
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The two stars of the French national team will have no time to rest as they prepare for matches against Turkey (September 25), Belgium (September 28 and October 5), and Italy (October 2).
Nevertheless, all eyes will be on them as their reunion is eagerly anticipated following Mbappé's statements regarding the Ballon d'Or award.
After the list of Ballon d'Or nominees was announced, the Real Madrid star did not hesitate to talk about his teammate, stating: "Dembélé? He has always been viewed as a talented player. I have always been viewed as 'the chosen one.' I was at the top right from the beginning, very early on. His path was different; he suffered from injuries, but he compensated for it."
He later added: "In some years, I considered myself the best player in the world. I didn't see any player stronger than me. Then, when Messi arrived at the ceremony and won, I said that the best player was on the podium no problem. And when Cristiano won, I said the same thing... As for the others, I've watched them, and even if someone else wins the Ballon d'Or, I would never trade places with him."
Affecting Dembélé, these criticism-tinged remarks did not sit well with him, and he responded via Ligue 1+, saying: "Throughout my career, I haven't uttered a word; I've worked incredibly hard. As I said, I was never 'the chosen player,' but I worked hard, and last year I was rewarded for a wonderful year with Paris Saint-Germain. As for this year, we'll see no pressure, just relax."
Dembélé later told the same channel that he would give the Ballon d'Or to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
He added: "I would be very happy because he deserves it too. His season was exceptional. For me, he is the best player in the world. That's why he deserves the Ballon d'Or."
L'Équipe reported on Monday that Dembélé's response surprised Mbappé, who clearly did not expect such a reaction.
When contacted by Sport, sources within the French national team and the new coaching staff affirmed that there is no problem, preferring to refer the players to Zidane's statement during his latest press conference.
Zidane said: "I don't want to put an end to banter and debate. Banter and debate happen every day; these discussions are part of the game. I know what it feels like to win the Ballon d'Or, and every player wishes for it. There are debates, and that's normal. I think this mostly revolves outside the national team, but internally, there won't be any issues. We will focus on playing these four matches, starting with Turkey."
Zidane clearly has other priorities, leaving it up to Mbappé and Dembélé to resolve their differences amicably.
Resource: Al-Ghad.
