Dembélé/Mbappé – Behind the scenes of a big talking point

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·14 September 2026

Dembélé/Mbappé – Behind the scenes of a big talking point

Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments, the Real Madrid forward, do not appear to have gone unnoticed by those around Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé. According to L’Équipe, certain parts of his interview with France Football were not particularly well received in the Parisian Ballon d’Or winner’s circle.

Mbappé’s remarks received mixed reactions

At the heart of this episode is notably a statement by Kylian Mbappé about Ousmane Dembélé’s career path. The Madrid forward compared the way their respective trajectories had been perceived since their early days.

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“He has always been seen as a talented player. I’ve always been seen as the chosen one. I reached the top straight away, very early. He had a different path, with injuries, but he’s bounced back well!”

According to L’Équipe, those remarks were not seen as insignificant by people around the Parisian player. The interview was reportedly “read and reread” and, depending on the person or their sensitivity, was received in different ways, or even rather poorly by some of Dembélé’s close associates.

Dembélé’s response and the reaction of those around him

In this context, Ousmane Dembélé’s comments after Brest/PSG (0-1) are interpreted by L’Équipe as an indirect response to the statements made by his France teammate.

“Dembélé’s remarks, to our colleagues at Ligue 1+ on Sunday in Brest (1-0), should be read as the response of a man who, despite the friendly ties that bind him to Mbappé, whom he has known since he was 15 or 16, is not prepared to let himself be walked over. Among those close to the Ballon d’Or winner, in the dressing room or elsewhere, some even had much harsher words regarding the Madrid star’s media appearance.”

The newspaper nevertheless highlights the long-standing relationship between the two players, which suggests it would be premature to speak of any rupture. The episode does show, however, that Mbappé’s words triggered a real reaction in Dembélé’s camp, with some people close to him being markedly more severe.

A possible explanation with Les Bleus

For his part, Kylian Mbappé was reportedly surprised by the intervention of his friend and teammate with Les Bleus. The former Paris player, however, has no intention of continuing this exchange publicly.

“Mbappé, who was surprised by the intervention of his friend and France teammate on Sunday, does not intend to respond publicly. But this episode, which should not be overinterpreted at this stage, will be very interesting to analyze in ten days’ time during the France squad gathering at Clairefontaine. It is not unreasonable to think that a conversation between the two men will be necessary.”

At this stage, nothing suggests there is a rift between Dembélé and Mbappé. Their next get-together with the France national team will nevertheless be an interesting moment to watch, with the possibility of a direct explanation between the two men.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.