Even if many are reluctant to admit it, the Ballon d'Or is a significant goal for football superstars worldwide, as it represents the highest recognition of individual performance. Therefore, with this year's winner seemingly undecided, candidates are making inflammatory statements to boost their chances, and Mbappé is no exception. His remarks could also be interpreted as disrespect towards his teammate and close friend, Dembélé.

As the media dispute between the two rapidly escalated before the French national team assembled for the Nations League, a mediator has emerged to de-escalate the situation.

Mbappé previously stated in an interview: "Dembélé? He's always been considered a talented player. Everyone always saw me as the chosen one. I was at the top from the beginning. He took a different path, constantly battling injuries, but he made up for it." These words seemed to upset Dembélé. Dembélé did not remain silent and responded: "Throughout my career, I've never said anything negative and have worked very hard. As I said, I was never the chosen one, but I worked hard, and last year I was rewarded with an excellent season at PSG. This year, we'll see—no pressure, just relax."

Although the parties involved have not publicly acknowledged it, major French media outlets report that tension indeed exists between the two. Le Parisien has now revealed the details of the conflict between these two French internationals. According to the report, Mbappé initiated a call to his friend, recognizing that his words had displeased Dembélé.

The two parties resolved the issue privately, with teammate Thuram also mediating. According to Le Parisien, the Inter player acted as a peacemaker in a WhatsApp group shared by the three forwards.

The war of words appears to have been resolved by the two superstars, a fact corroborated by Mbappé's statement to L'Équipe. "He is my friend. There's no real problem, I'm calm. During national team duty, there's always someone looking for a story, and I think they found one this time," said the 2018 World Cup winner.

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