Ousmane Dembélé gives humble Ballon d’Or response, unlike Kylian Mbappé, who says he is ‘the chosen one’

Ousmane Dembélé has taken a subtle dig at Kylian Mbappé’s recent remarks, offering a far more humble view of his rise to the top. While Mbappé has made no secret of believing he deserves the Ballon d’Or, Dembélé has stressed that he never saw himself as the obvious star destined to reach the summit, instead putting his success down to years of hard work.Ousmane Dembélé says he was never 'the chosen one'Dembélé was speaking after PSG’s 1-0 victory over Brest when he was asked about his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or for a second consecutive year.The 29-year-old appeared to reference comments recently made by Mbappé, who described the different expectations surrounding the pair during their careers.“Dembélé? He was always seen as a talented player. I, on the other hand, was always seen as the chosen one,” Mbappé told France Football.Dembélé offered his own description of the path that took him to the top.“I've always been at the back of the class working hard,” he said.“Throughout my career, I haven't said a word, I've worked incredibly hard.“Like I said, I was never the chosen one, but I worked hard and last year I was rewarded after a fantastic year with Paris Saint-Germain.“And this year, we'll see how it goes -- no pressure, taking it easy.”It was a striking contrast to the image Mbappé described, with Dembélé portraying himself as a player who had to keep working while others were more readily identified as future superstars.Dembélé believes another PSG player could win the Ballon d'OrDembélé enters the new Ballon d’Or race as the reigning holder of the award after the most successful season of his career.He became the sixth Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or last year, having played a starring role in PSG’s historic campaign under Luis Enrique.Dembélé scored 35 goals in all competitions as PSG won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the club’s first Champions League title.That European triumph was particularly emphatic, with PSG beating Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.Yet Dembélé does not appear convinced that his own success makes him the inevitable favourite this time around.Last week, he named Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Mbappé as his three leading candidates for the prize.But he also suggested the award could remain in Paris.“I don't think this trophy is unpredictable. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player,” he said.Mbappé, meanwhile, left PSG for Real Madrid in 2024 and finished seventh in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting despite scoring 44 goals in his debut season in Spain.The Real Madrid forward has since made a forceful case for the 2026 award, despite ending the season without major silverware. Mbappé scored 42 goals in 44 club appearances, won the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals and took his career World Cup tally to a record 22 goals. He has also insisted that the Ballon d’Or is an individual award rather than simply a reward for team success, declaring: “There was no player better than me.”The pair therefore enter the latest race from very different positions: Dembélé as the defending champion and Mbappé as the former PSG superstar now trying to claim the prize with Real Madrid.Dembélé is building PSG's attack without MbappéWhile the Ballon d’Or conversation places Dembélé and Mbappé against each other, Dembélé's immediate focus is on maintaining PSG's attacking standards without his former team-mate.The French forward has developed a productive understanding with Spanish striker Ferran Torres, who has become an important part of the reshaped PSG attack.Dembélé already knew Torres from their time together at Barcelona and believes that familiarity has helped them quickly establish a connection.“I was lucky enough to play with him a bit at Barcelona,” Dembélé said.“He's a true goalscorer, a true number nine who can also play on the wing. And it's easy to play with him. He makes very good runs. It's easy to find him, we talk a lot, it's easy with Ferran.”The partnership gives Dembélé another route to influence games as PSG continue life after Mbappé, while the Ballon d’Or debate provides an increasingly intriguing backdrop to the two French stars' contrasting careers.For Dembélé, though, the central theme remains the same one he has returned to throughout his career: he may not have been the player everyone expected to reach the summit, but he worked until he got there.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.