Ballon d'Or tensions revealed

Following the Ballon d'Or ceremony, where Harry Kane was awarded the prestigious individual trophy, tensions between Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé have come to light. Mbappé, who finished second in the voting, reportedly had a difficult campaign, with some reports indicating he was impolite towards certain competitors and friends, including Dembélé. The situation reportedly left lasting impressions, prompting calls for a mediator.

Exchange at the ceremony

Loïc Tanzi, present in London for his media outlet, described a brief scene filmed at the Ballon d'Or award ceremony. In it, Mbappé asked Dembélé about the status of his injury, to which Dembélé responded that he would need two weeks or slightly more to recover. Tanzi noted that if two people claim to be close friends, one would check in on the other after an injury, suggesting that Mbappé and Dembélé had not spoken since Dembélé's injury, which occurred last Tuesday against Barça.

Potential for reconciliation

Tanzi further suggested that the relationship between Mbappé and Dembélé is still fresh or very fresh, and that it might be mended through a meaningful discussion and the involvement of a mediator. He specifically suggested Zinédine Zidane as a potential mediator, citing Zidane's influence and ability to facilitate such a conversation.

Timing and skepticism

Tanzi noted that Zidane may or may not be willing to take on the role, but emphasized the need for someone to bring Mbappé and Dembélé together. However, given Dembélé's injury timeline, such a meeting is unlikely to occur at the next gathering. Tanzi expressed skepticism about the possibility of a full reconciliation, suggesting that while Mbappé and Dembélé might be able to interact outside of football, Dembélé may never fully move past the incident, as he is aware that Mbappé could potentially say negative things about him in pursuit of personal achievements.