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‘Criticism Has Gone Too Far’ – Dembele Defends Mbappe
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He praised Mbappe’s leadership within the France squad.
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Dembele also backed Zidane as a future France coach.
France forward Ousmane Dembele has defended national team captain Kylian Mbappe, saying the criticism directed at the Real Madrid star has become excessive ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mbappe has come under scrutiny in both Spain and France following a season in which Real Madrid failed to win major silverware and amid ongoing debate over his leadership role with the national team.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that 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 attention on Mbappe often extends 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 is among the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or after helping Paris Saint-Germain retain the UEFA Champions League title. He is expected to line up alongside Mbappe when France begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal national football team on Tuesday, with group-stage matches against Iraq national football team and Norway national football team to follow.
The 28-year-old also paid tribute to long-serving France manager Didier Deschamps, who is expected to 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 led 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, who won the World Cup alongside Deschamps in 1998, has long been linked with the France coaching job but has consistently avoided discussing the position while Deschamps remains in charge.
