Zidane puts Mbappé and Dembélé in their place over Ballon d'Or ahead of France squad gathering

Zinédine Zidane put an end to the verbal sparring over the 2026 Ballon d’Or at his first official address as France manager, inviting Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé to concentrate their energy on the Blues’ next four matches rather than on individual debates.

The controversy had been sparked by Mbappé himself. In the pages of France Football, the France captain did not mince words: « There has been no better player than me. » He also claimed a very personal vision of the trophy, believing that the Ballon d’Or should reward « different players, » in the manner of the Messi-Ronaldo era, and that his performances in major competitions — including the World Cup — placed him above the rest.

For his part, Ousmane Dembélé, the defending champion and also in contention for his own succession, adopted a radically opposite stance. « I’ve always been at the back of the class working hard. Throughout my entire career, I haven’t said a word, I’ve worked enormously, » declared the PSG forward after his club’s victory over Brest. A veiled message, but a readable one.

When asked about this rivalry at his press conference, Zidane first tried to dodge the question: « I’m not going to get into Ballon d’Or considerations. » Before delivering a more nuanced message, neither censoring nor encouraging: « I don’t want to blow the whistle on playtime. Playtime happens every day, it’s the debates, that’s part of the game. I know what it’s like to be Ballon d’Or and every player wants to be. But we’re not necessarily going to talk about that inside. We’re going to focus on playing these four matches, and especially Turkey to start. »

Dembélé’s successor will be officially announced on October 26 in London. Among the other contenders is notably Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Dembélé’s PSG teammate. But for Zidane, the priority lies elsewhere: Mbappé and Dembélé are expected from Monday at Clairefontaine to begin this first squad gathering under his command.