October 27
Has their friendship come to an end?
Ousmane Dembélé, the Paris Saint-Germain and France national team star, congratulated English striker Harry Kane—who plays for Bayern Munich—on winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
Kane had been in a fierce contest for the award against Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, ultimately securing the prize at a ceremony held this past Monday in London.
Dembélé posted a photo of Kane holding the Ballon d'Or on his Instagram account, with the caption: "Congratulations, Harry Kane—well deserved."
Previously, the relationship between Mbappé and Dembélé had become strained after Mbappé described himself as "the chosen one"—a player who reached the pinnacle directly—in contrast to Ousmane, who had to carve out his own path through hard work and diligence.
Responding to Mbappé, the PSG player said: "I was always at the back of the line, working hard. Throughout my career, I haven’t said a word; I’ve simply worked a great deal. As I said, I was never 'the chosen one,' but I worked hard. Last year, I was rewarded for a fantastic season with PSG. As for this year, we shall see what happens—calmly and without any pressure."
