Ousmane Dembélé responds to Mbappé’s ‘chosen one’ claim

Ousmane Dembélé has pushed back at Kylian Mbappé’s description of himself as the player who was always viewed as football’s chosen one, adding a pointed note to the Ballon d’Or 2025 debate. Dembélé had previously avoided presenting the award race as a contest between the two France internationals and had left the decision to the voters.

Mbappé had praised Dembélé as a talented player whose career included injuries before saying he had recovered well. That comparison was not well received in Dembélé’s camp, where the contrast between their respective paths was examined closely. Dembélé answered on Ligue 1+ by portraying himself as someone who had worked from the margins rather than enjoyed early privilege. He said he had never been the chosen one, but had worked extremely hard.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward also pointed to the collective success behind his previous recognition, recalling that he had been rewarded after an outstanding season with the club. PSG won several trophies during that campaign, while Real Madrid finished the following season without silverware. The French club has not officially backed a particular candidate despite having several nominees. Dembélé maintained a restrained tone about his chances, saying the outcome would come without pressure, but his response ensured Mbappé’s version of their contrasting careers would not stand alone.