Overview
- This week (Sept. 10–12) Kylian Mbappé gave extended interviews to France Football and L'Équipe in which he openly campaigned for the Ballon d'Or and said he believes he can win the trophy.
- Mbappé defended criticisms of his defensive work by arguing that prolific goal scoring is the primary value for a forward and cited his reported season tally of about 42 club goals and a World Cup record of 22 goals.
- Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner, downplayed obsession with the prize while naming Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and Mbappé among his top contenders and predicting the trophy could stay with a PSG player.
- Several PSG teammates, notably Kvaratskhelia and Fabián Ruiz, publicly praised Dembélé and acknowledged that the squad talks about the Ballon d'Or, underlining PSG’s strong representation among nominees.
- Beyond on-field debate, Mbappé addressed off-field controversies including social‑media 'dictator' nicknames and an exchange with a Paraguayan senator, and media attention will track how his campaign influences votes before the ceremony in London on October 26.