Ousmane Dembele fires back at Kylian Mbappe’s ‘Chosen One’ Ballon d’Or remark: ‘Last year I was rewarded’

Ousmane Dembele fires back at Kylian Mbappe’s ‘Chosen One’ Ballon d’Or remark: ‘Last year I was rewarded’ The 2026 Ballon d’Or race has taken an intriguing turn after Ousmane Dembele appeared to respond directly to comments from Kylian Mbappe, with the PSG forward stressing the hard work behind his rise to the top. The winner will be announced on 26 October, with Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Dembele among the leading names in contention.  Yamal enters the race with the World Cup and LaLiga title on his resume, while Mbappe has made no secret of his own ambitions. Dembele, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, had a different route to recognition. His World Cup was not especially memorable, but he lifted the Champions League with PSG again. Mbappe puts his own case forward Mbappe recently spoke to L’Équipe about his career and the expectations that have followed him since his emergence as a teenage sensation. “I’ve always been the one everyone looked to. Dembele? He was always seen as a talented player. Me, on the other hand, I was always seen as ‘the chosen one’,” admitted the Real Madrid forward. Dembele has fired back at Mbappe. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) The comment was notable given Dembele’s status as the current Ballon d’Or holder and his long-standing friendship with Mbappe.  Notably, the remark has not gone down particularly well with those close to the PSG star. Dembele points to work, not destiny Following PSG’s latest Ligue 1 match against Brest, Dembele was asked about the comments and offered a response that appeared to draw a clear distinction between being labelled a natural successor and earning recognition through years of effort. “As I said, I’ve never been ‘the chosen one’, but I’ve worked incredibly hard. And last year I was rewarded,” he emphasised. The PSG forward then insisted that his approach would not change regardless of the eventual outcome. “We’ll see what happens this year; I’m taking it in my stride. I’ve always been one of those at the back of the class working hard – my whole career has been like that.  Mbappe is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) “I’ve never said a word. All I’ve ever done is work hard,” he concluded. Yamal complicates the Ballon d’Or picture The exchange comes with the Ballon d’Or field unusually difficult to separate.  In a typical World Cup year, the tournament often leaves everything to prediction. Spain’s success was built on collective strength rather than one dominant individual. That leaves room for the likes of Mbappe, while Yamal has a particularly compelling resume after winning both the World Cup and La Liga. At the same time, Dembele’s Champions League success with PSG keeps him in the conversation too.  Source: Mundo Deportivo