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Since the shortlist was announced, Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9<\/a> and Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/a> have intensified their Ballon d’Or pitches, each underlining his own case and edging at the other.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mbapp\u00e9, now at Real Madrid<\/a>, set the tone by comparing their trajectories: \u201cHe has always been seen as a talented player. I have always been seen as the chosen one.\u201d He was speaking to France Football.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Those remarks, and the \u201cchosen one\u201d line, did not sit well in the opposing camp. After PSG<\/a>\u2019s 1-0 win at Brest on Sunday, Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 replied without naming his France team-mate: \u201cI have always been at the back of the class working hard. I have never been the chosen one. Last year I was rewarded in a fantastic year with PSG. This year, we will see, without pressure.\u201d He told Ligue 1+.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 can point to winning the Champions League this year with PSG and says he excelled in decisive moments, which he believes matters most.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mbapp\u00e9, meanwhile, finished top scorer in La Liga<\/a> and the Champions League, and became the all-time leading World Cup scorer in the United States this summer. \u201cThere was no one better than me last season.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Both are due to link up for the first France camp under Zin\u00e9dine Zidane, a chance to clear the air. The 2026 Ballon d’Or winner will be revealed on 26 October.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n