After the war of words: Dembélé reveals the truth about his dispute with Mbappé

Many believe Ousmane Dembélé has got the better of his France team-mate Kylian Mbappé, particularly in the Ballon d'Or race.

Mbappé had cast himself as the chosen one, the player who reached the summit directly, unlike Dembélé, who carved his path through graft and dedication.

The Paris Saint-Germain man hit back. "I was always at the back of the line, working hard. Throughout my career, I never said a single word, but I worked a lot. As I said, I was never the chosen player, but I worked hard, and last year I was rewarded for a wonderful season with Paris Saint-Germain. As for this year, we will see what happens, without pressure and calmly."

At the press conference before France's eagerly awaited UEFA Nations League clash with Italy, Dembélé kept his comments on the subject brief, clearly keen to cool things down.

The Foot Mercato website ran his words from the press conference. "I will not comment on all these stories. These little skirmishes on social media. At the age of 29, I have no desire to busy myself with these matters. I am focused on the other thing, which is the pitch."

One journalist came back at him with a touch of humour, congratulating him on being the chosen player for this press conference before asking whether he was still friends with Mbappé.

The PSG forward, who has 13 goals in 69 caps for France, again settled for a short reply.

"As I said, all these stories related to social media," he explained. "Yes, we have spoken, and we sit next to each other at the dinner table, and there is no problem at all."

He was then asked about the difference between France with and without Mbappé. "There are no differences. Mbappé is an important player for the national team. He has proved that throughout these years."

Dembélé went on: "Mbappé has scored a huge number of goals, and he is the captain of the national team. When he is present, we are very happy. And then there are other players who can emerge and shine. It is a group. The 23 players are all important. That is the most important thing."