Dembélé Furious With Mbappé: PSG and France Teammates See It as a Betrayal

Kylian Mbappé has once again stirred up the France national team dressing room. His recent comments to France Football, in which he presented himself as the only legitimate candidate for the Ballon d'Or ahead of Lamine Yamal and his own teammate Ousmane Dembélé, have gone down terribly at Paris Saint-Germain. The French winger feels betrayed and, as Jerome Rothen has revealed, he is not the only one who has turned against the Les Bleus captain.

• Mbappé claimed he should win the Ballon d'Or and that he was always seen as 'the chosen one', unlike Dembélé.
• Dembélé is very angry and sees those words as a form of betrayal, according to Jerome Rothen.
• The unrest has spread to the PSG dressing room and several France national team players.
• Rothen says there are now two camps in France and Mbappé's comments will end up hurting him.

What Mbappé Said About Dembélé and the Ballon d'Or

The conflict stems from an interview Kylian Mbappé gave to France Football. In it, the Real Madrid forward made clear that the next Ballon d'Or should be his, and he did so by drawing a line between himself and those who share a national team with him. Asked about Ousmane Dembélé, Mbappé acknowledged his compatriot's talent but put himself on a different level: while Dembélé has always been seen as a gifted player, Mbappé has been treated as the chosen one.

That comparison, made in the middle of the race for the award, has been the trigger for the anger. It is not just a matter of egos: for Dembélé, who is enjoying a great spell at PSG, hearing his captain publicly dismiss him is a wound that will not heal easily.

Dembélé Feels Betrayed

Jerome Rothen, former France international and RMC Sports pundit, has explained bluntly how Dembélé has taken these comments. According to his version, the Paris Saint-Germain player is deeply hurt and has interpreted Mbappé's words as outright disloyalty. The word betrayal is not an exaggeration for him; it is exactly what he feels.

Dembélé took it very badly, that is for sure, he is very angry with Kylian Mbappé. For him, it is a form of betrayal. Those are strong words, but that is exactly how he sees it.

PSG and France Dressing Room Split in Two

Dembélé's anger is not an isolated case. Rothen says the unrest has reached everyone around him: the PSG dressing room, his France teammates and the people close to the winger. The feeling left by Mbappé's comments is that there are two camps within the national team, and that more and more players are on Dembélé's side.

The former player points out that the fracture was already visible at the last World Cup and has now become even more obvious. Several France internationals reportedly had issues with the captain's behavior and statements, although his performances on that stage, where he finished as the tournament's top scorer, helped soften the criticism within the group.

Mbappé's Waning Influence as France Leader

For Rothen, the underlying problem is that Kylian Mbappé has been alienating a large part of the dressing room with a series of outspoken remarks. Although his level on the pitch has allowed him to maintain a certain authority, his words about the Ballon d'Or could backfire. The frustration with the captain is real and, in his view, these comments will damage him.

The timing is no coincidence. Dembélé is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career in Paris, and his name has surged into the Ballon d'Or conversation in a way that was unthinkable in previous stages of his career. For Mbappé to dismiss him so casually, precisely now, has turned a sporting rivalry into a personal clash.

A Ballon d'Or Race Full of Tension

The race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or has heated up both on and off the pitch. Mbappé, Dembélé and Lamine Yamal are among the favorites after a brilliant season, and every public statement adds a new chapter to the battle. The problem in this case is that the fight has stopped being merely a media affair and has moved into the heart of the France national team.

France heads into upcoming international commitments with a captain questioned by part of his own dressing room. What happens on the pitch may cool the tension, as it did at the World Cup, or widen a wound that appears open right now.