Mbappé-Dembélé, the ego war over the Ballon d'Or irritates observers

The verbal skirmishes between Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé over the 2026 Ballon d’Or are beginning to wear thin beyond the circle of the two players. A month before the ceremony scheduled for October 26, the barbs are piling up and former France international Nicole Abar has decided to raise her voice.

“I have two words to say to Kylian and Ousmane. I am really upset. But really, really upset because they are making headlines for the wrong reasons,” the pundit said Thursday. For Abar, the two strikers are harming themselves by maintaining what she describes as “parasitic, negative communication,” while the France team is entering a new era under Zinédine Zidane.

The defending champion, Dembélé has been more discreet than his captain in the national team, but he has still reacted to some of Mbappé’s statements, fueling a rivalry that now goes beyond the sporting arena. Other contenders for the trophy, such as Lamine Yamal and Fabian Ruiz, have also displayed their ambitions, but without generating the same media noise.

Nicole Abar sent a clear message to the two players: “I want to tell them: talk to each other. But talk to us tomorrow on the pitch. Show us what you know how to do, highlight your talents and your charismatic personalities to give a very good image of our football and our France team.”

The France team gathering, notably with the match against Turkey, should force Mbappé and Dembélé to temporarily set aside this ego war. It remains to be seen whether the truce will be lasting or if the exchanges will resume once the international window is over.