Dembélé's Ballon d'Or Response to Mbappé Allegedly Orchestrated by PSG, Says Riolo

Ousmane Dembélé's reaction to Kylian Mbappé after Paris Saint-Germain's win at Brest on Sunday (0-1) was reportedly pre-arranged. Daniel Riolo, a commentator on RMC's After Foot, claims the PSG attacker's statement to Ligue 1+ was planned in advance.

This follows Mbappé's recent interview with France Football, where the Real Madrid forward stated, "I've always been seen as the chosen one," regarding the 2026 Ballon d'Or race. This statement apparently irked Dembélé, who responded during a brief on-field interview at the Stade Francis-Le Blé. Riolo suggests this response was timed to potentially surprise Mbappé before their upcoming reunion with the French national team under Zinedine Zidane.

Speaking on RMC's After Foot, Riolo detailed the behind-the-scenes arrangements. He stated that Dembélé's response was not spontaneous but deliberately set up.

"The response was organized. Before the match, it was arranged for Dembélé to speak to Ligue 1+," Riolo explained. "PSG's communication team approached Ligue 1+ and said: 'He will come to the microphone, but you must ask him a question about the Ballon d'Or. Otherwise, he won't come.'"

"This means it was organized and that there was a kind of planned reply," he added. This perspective offers a new interpretation of Dembélé's comments, made just days after Mbappé declared himself the favorite for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

English Translation:

Ousmane Dembélé's response to Kylian Mbappé following Paris Saint-Germain's victory at Brest on Sunday (0-1) was allegedly pre-arranged. Daniel Riolo, a commentator on RMC's After Foot, asserts that the Parisian attacker's statement to Ligue 1+ was organized beforehand.

For context, Ousmane Dembélé was reportedly displeased with Kylian Mbappé's recent interview regarding the 2026 Ballon d'Or. In an interview with France Football, the Real Madrid forward had stated: "I've always been seen as the chosen one." This apparently annoyed his PSG counterpart. Dembélé responded, in his own way, to this declaration during a short interview on the pitch at the Francis-Le Blé stadium. His statement reportedly surprised Kylian Mbappé, given the two players are soon to be teammates with the French national team under Zinedine Zidane.

On RMC's After Foot, Daniel Riolo provided details on the circumstances surrounding this statement on Monday. According to him, Ousmane Dembélé's response was far from improvised. Quite the opposite.

"The response was organized. Before the match, it was arranged that Dembélé would speak to Ligue 1+," Daniel Riolo explained. "PSG's communication team went to Ligue 1+ and told them: 'He will come to the microphone, but you must ask him a question about the Ballon d'Or, otherwise he won't come.'"

"So that means it was organized and that there was a kind of planned reply," he added. This interpretation gives a different dimension to Ousmane Dembélé's statement, made a few days after Kylian Mbappé's comments about his favorite status in the race for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.