Kylian Mbappé said it first, without naming him but pointing straight at him: “I have always been seen as the chosen one”, a phrase that sounded like a jab at Ousmane Dembélé.
Dembélé did not let the jab go unanswered. After PSG’s 1-0 victory over Brest in Ligue 1, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner responded: “I have never been the chosen one, but I have worked incredibly hard”.
No shouting, no scandal, but with the weight of someone who feels that his trophy was earned through hard work and not destiny. The clash comes just as France Football has already revealed the 30 candidates for 2026.
Both are on the list heading to the gala on October 26 in London. Social media was divided between those defending Mbappé and those applauding Dembélé’s response.