“Kylian Mbappe says he was always seen as ‘the chosen one’. Ousmane Dembele says he was never that.” Those two lines have turned the 2026 Ballon d'Or conversation into something more personal than a simple form check. The winner will be announced on 26 October.

Dembele's hard-work case

Dembele’s response is straight to the point. “As I said, I’ve never been ‘the chosen one’, but I’ve worked incredibly hard. And last year I was rewarded,” he said, adding that he has “always been one of those at the back of the class working hard”.

That fits the season he has put together for Paris Saint Germain. He has 6 goals in 8 all-competition appearances, and his all-comps rating of 7.95 is the sort of return that keeps him in any serious Ballon d'Or discussion.

The other important detail is the reward itself. Dembele was rewarded for a fantastic year with Paris Saint Germain after saying he had never been the “chosen one”, which is exactly why his refusal to sound entitled lands so well. He is making the case with output, not with hype.

Mbappe keeps the pressure on

Mbappe has no interest in stepping away from the same spotlight. “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’,” he said.

The numbers back up the confidence. Kylian Mbappé has 7 La Liga goals in 5 appearances and an 8.69 rating, which is a strong start by any standard. He also said he has stayed in touch with Florentino Perez for ten years before arriving at Real Madrid, a detail that tells you how long Madrid has been part of his story.

The Ballon d'Or race now has a rivalry layer it did not need but has clearly acquired. Dembele is arguing for merit and hard work, Mbappe is leaning into expectation and status, and both have the sort of early-season output that keeps the debate alive. The ceremony comes on 26 October, with both men likely to be central to the conversation again by then.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →