Ousmane Dembélé said he has "never been the chosen one" after Kylian Mbappé used the phrase to describe himself and his expectations in football.
Mbappé recently backed himself to take the award, saying in an interview with France Football that "there wasn't anyone better than me last season."
But the Real Madrid forward also compared the expectations between the players, saying Dembélé had "always been seen as a talented player", while adding: "I've always been seen as the chosen one."
Dembélé appeared to reference those comments after PSG's 1-0 win at Brest when he was asked about his prospects of winning the Ballon d'Or for a second successive year.
"I've always been at the back of the class working hard," Dembélé said.
"Throughout my career, I haven't said a word, I've worked incredibly hard.
"Like I said, I was never the chosen one, but I worked hard and last year I was rewarded after a fantastic year with Paris Saint-Germain.
"And this year, we'll see how it goes -- no pressure, taking it easy."
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Last week, the 29-year-old cited Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Mbappé as his top three candidates to take the prize.
But he said: "I don't think this trophy is unpredictable. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player."
Dembélé became the sixth Frenchman to win the Ballon d'Or last year after playing a starring role in PSG's historic season under Luis Enrique.
The forward scored 35 goals in all competitions as PSG won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and their first Champions League title, beating Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.
Mbappé, who left PSG for Real Madrid in 2024, finished seventh in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting despite scoring 44 goals in all competitions in his debut season in the Spanish capital.