Mbappé brushes off talk of tension with France teammate Dembélé as Ballon d’Or race heats up

Kylian Mbappé has dismissed talks of tensions with Ousmane Dembélé as the France teammates feature among the top contenders for the men’s Ballon d’Or.

With the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26, clubs and players have been campaigning actively for the prestigious award.

In a recent interview with France Football magazine, which organises the trophy, Mbappé said he believes he can win it this year.

The Real Madrid striker, who missed France’s training session on Tuesday ahead of their Nations League clash with Turkey with flu, also compared himself with Dembélé, who won the accolade last year.

“I always wanted to break records and (make sure) that people remembered my name. “But I have to be honest, I didn’t expect to be the top scorer of all time at the World Cup, at 27." @DTAthletic 's exclusive interview with Kylian Mbappe. ▪️ Making World Cup history ▪️ Asking… pic.twitter.com/8EIcxbpbc2

Put to Mbappé that 10 years ago only a few observers would have thought that Dembélé would win the Ballon d’Or before him, he replied: “But he has always been seen as a talented player.

“I, on the other hand, have always been seen as the chosen one. I was at the top right away, from a very young age. He had a different journey, with injuries, but he has caught up really well.”

Mbappé’s comments reportedly created tensions between the pair. Both players reported for camp on Monday for Les Bleus’s training camp, and Mbappé said their relationship remains unchanged.

“I’ve already spoken to him about it, and there’s no tension,” he told L’Equipe in an interview in connection with his role as an ambassador for the brand On.

Zinédine Zidane s’inclut dans ce dernier exercice en distribuant quelques ballons. Avec classe. #EDF pic.twitter.com/YQJm2gXrl1

“He’s a friend. I don’t think there’s really any problem regarding that. I’m very relaxed about it.”

After claiming a second straight Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain last season, Dembélé has a chance to retain the Ballon d’Or.

Dembélé and Mbappé both played at the World Cup in June and July, where France lost to eventual champions Spain in the semifinals. Though it’s difficult to win the Ballon d’Or without a major trophy, Mbappé made history when he overtook Lionel Messi for the most all-time World Cup goals (22), in fewer games.

Mbappé did not train with his teammates on Tuesday because of a bout of the flu, the team said.