Umtiti criticises Mbappé and Dembélé over Ballon d'Or campaigns: Messi never asked for it

Samuel Umtiti, the former FC Barcelona defender, has criticized fellow Frenchmen Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé for their comments regarding the race for the Ballon d'Or, stating that public discussions about deserving to win the award were not common during his time playing alongside Lionel Messi.

Samuel Umtiti stated in an interview with RMC Sport: "I have never seen Messi speak this way about the Ballon d'Or at Barcelona. Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times and has never asked for it."

Samuel Umtiti's remarks come against the backdrop of the controversy that erupted between Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé before the Ballon d'Or ceremony, after the Real Madrid forward stated that Dembélé had always been seen as a talented player, while he was viewed as 'the chosen one'. Dembélé responded by saying that no one considered him 'the chosen one', but he worked hard to crown his last season with Paris Saint-Germain with a remarkable performance.

Despite criticizing these statements, Umtiti emphasized that Mbappé did not intend to offend Dembélé, explaining: "When I go back to what Kylian said, he did not speak badly about Ousmane; his words were taken a bit out of context, as he spoke well of him before that."

The former French defender stated that every player's personality is different, mentioning that Mbappé has a 'special way of expressing himself', and emphasized the need to consider his statements in their full context, especially with the announcement of the Ballon d'Or winner approaching.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on October 26, featuring 30 players, including Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, who won the award in its last edition.