Mbappé's Ballon d'Or campaign fractures France dressing room, says Rothen

Kylian Mbappé’s public candidacy for the Ballon d’Or has sown discord in the France dressing room, according to consultant Jérôme Rothen, who claims that Ousmane Dembélé, the defending champion, views his teammate’s move as a betrayal.

“Ousmane Dembélé took it very badly, that’s certain, he’s very upset with Kylian Mbappé,” Rothen said. “It’s a form of betrayal for him. The words are strong but that’s exactly how he sees it. And it’s not just him. There’s Ousmane’s entire entourage, the people who are in the dressing room with him at PSG.”

The former PSG midfielder extends the assessment to the entire France squad. According to him, tensions surrounding Mbappé’s behavior date back at least to the World Cup, even though his performances — tournament’s top scorer — had then eased internal friction. This time, his statements about the Ballon d’Or have reignited resentments. “There are many players who struggle with Kylian Mbappé’s behavior and his statements. He’s put a lot of people off within the France group,” Rothen insists.

The picture he paints is one of a dressing room split in two: on one side the “team Mbappé”, on the other a “team Dembélé” that would be in the majority. Rothen describes the Barcelona player as “much more of a unifier” and as a usual “buffer” between the different sensibilities in the group. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall and see the handshake between Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé at the next gathering. I think the walls are going to shake a little.”

These internal tensions come at the worst possible time for Zinédine Zidane, whose appointment as France manager was expected to mark a fresh start. The new coach will have to manage this fracture from his first gathering, before even playing a single official match.