France forward Ousmane Dembele has come to the defence of captain Kylian Mbappe, insisting the criticism directed at the Real Madrid star has become excessive ahead of Les Bleus’ FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Dembele backed his long-time international teammate and argued that Mbappe is often judged more harshly than other players because of his global profile.
The France captain has remained one of the most closely scrutinised figures in world football since his move from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to Real Madrid in 2024.
Although Mbappe continues to produce impressive numbers in front of goal, he has faced criticism following a season in which Real Madrid failed to win either LaLiga or the UEFA Champions League.
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His leadership of the national team has also been questioned by some sections of the French media since taking over the captaincy after Hugo Lloris retired from international football.
Dembele, however, believes much of the criticism has crossed the line.
“The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,” Dembele said. “Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian. He’s an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch.”
“Some people overdo the criticism because he’s Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn’t keep going after him. Whether he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not… It’s too much. He’s still a human being.
“With the France team, he’s very good with us; he’s a leader.”
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The pair are expected to spearhead France’s bid for a third World Cup title when they begin their campaign against Senegal.
Defender Lucas Hernandez also voiced his support for Mbappe, expressing confidence that the forward will respond strongly to the scrutiny surrounding him.
“Kylian is an extraordinary player,” Hernandez said. “When you’re Kylian Mbappe, everyone looks at everything you do, on the pitch and off the pitch.”
“He’s 100% motivated for the World Cup. All the criticism there has been this season, he’s going to silence it.”
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