Dembele Defends Mbappe As France Captain Faces Mounting Criticism

France forward Ousmane Dembélé has leapt to the defence of captain Kylian Mbappé, insisting the criticism directed at the Real Madrid star has become excessive ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Mbappe has faced intense scrutiny in both Spain and France following a trophyless campaign with Real Madrid and his leadership role with the national team.

Speaking to Marca, Dembele said: “The criticism towards him is very, very unfair. 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.”

The Paris Saint-Germain winger argued that the spotlight on Mbappe often goes beyond football matters. “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,” Dembele added.

Dembele, who is among the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or after helping Paris Saint-Germain retain the UEFA Champions League title, is expected to line up alongside Mbappe when France begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday. Group-stage matches against Iraq and Norway will follow.

The 28-year-old also paid tribute to long-serving France manager Didier Deschamps, who will step down after the tournament. “He’s simply an exceptional coach. He will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches,” Dembele said. Deschamps guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and another final appearance in 2022.

Looking ahead, Dembele backed former France and Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane as a potential successor. “We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench. I’m convinced he would do a fantastic job,” he said.

Zidane, a World Cup winner alongside Deschamps in 1998, has long been linked with the national team role but has consistently avoided discussing the position while the current coach remains in charge.